Logan Brown had been waiting a long time for Tuesday night.
More than 17 months since his last NHL game, the 26-year-old forward is healthy again. He was back on the ice in the Lightning’s preseason opener against the Hurricanes at Amalie Arena.
Like most preseason games, the majority of the Lightning’s 2-1 loss was forgettable. The play was sloppy early as lineups full of mostly prospects tried to get their footing, and the rare veteran was searching for his timing and pace.
But then there was Brown, who is in camp on a professional tryout hoping to revive his career after a nagging hip injury sidelined him. He made a quick first impression with the Lightning’s only goal and 15:41 of ice time in his first game since April 6, 2023.
“I thought he performed extremely well,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “And he was one that kind of got better as that game went on. And it’s got to be tough when you haven’t played hockey for that long, but again, one of those guys that came in and made a positive first step.”
Two offseasons ago, the Lightning signed Brown to a two-way contract, but he spent the entire season on long-term injured reserve and had hip surgery. He didn’t skate until January and dealt with a few physical setbacks before finally feeling comfortable in May. The Lightning felt comfortable enough with his progress to offer Brown a professional tryout contract in August.
“I was off and on and battling it,” Brown said. “But kind of towards the end of the season, I started to get it in a bit of a groove, and luckily, I was able to keep it going for about four consistent months to finish off the rehab and get ready.”
Brown’s size alone — he’s listed at 6-foot-7, 222 pounds — sets himself apart on the ice. Tuesday, he showed his skating ability and the willingness to play physically and dig pucks out.
“He’s got a ton of attributes you love,” Cooper said. “His size, he can skate, he’s got skill, he’s got all those types of things. Problem with what’s gone on is he’s missed the whole year of hockey. And I think first and foremost, you have to be healthy. So I think a problem has been fixed that’s been hampering him for a number of years, and now it’s just his timing, and everything’s got to come back.”
On his goal, Brown kept his feet moving and stayed with a play in the offensive zone, circling back above the left circle and finding the puck on his stick on a drop feed from defenseman Declan Carlile. Brown then rifled a wrister through traffic in front of the net, where forward Zemgus Girgensons was clogging the front, and past Carolina goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov.
“That always helps you feel good,” Brown said of scoring in his first game back.
“(Felt) pretty good,” he added of getting back in a game. “A little rusty, definitely some things that I can work on and improve on throughout the rest of camp here. But I think for my first game in over a year, I thought I felt better than maybe I expected.
With forward Mikey Eyssimont unlikely to make the season opener while recovering from a lower-body injury, and fourth-line center Luke Glendening not yet a full practice participant coming off a shoulder injury, Brown should have the opportunity to earn a roster spot coming out of camp.
And his performance Tuesday certainly put him on the short list of forwards who can earn a bottom-six role; that list includes 24-year-old Jesse Ylonen (who is on a two-way deal) and prospects Conor Geekie, 20, and Gage Goncalves, 23.
“I think you’ve got to play your game and play hard,” Brown said. “It’s a hard league, and guys are competing every night, every shift. So I think for me, it’s just bringing that compete and that competitive edge every night and building that every day.
“I think every day through camp, I’ve felt better and more like myself. So that’s kind of my mindset, just take a step each day, and by the end of camp, just be fine.”
