In May, Lightning assistant general manager and director of hockey operations, Mathieu Darche was named general manager of the New York Islanders. Darche worked under GM Julien BriseBois for six seasons and was a key piece to Tampa Bay’s front office.
Shortly after Darche’s departure, it was reported that Stacy Roest was no longer with the Lightning organization. Roest was there for 12 years, most recently serving as Assistant General Manager and General Manager of the AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch.
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According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts, the Lightning’s front office picture is now beginning to take shape.
“They lost Darche and they also moved out Stacy Roest. I understand that one of the guys on their radar is Jeff Tambellini,” said Friedman.
Tambellini, a former winger, was originally a first round pick in 2003 by the Los Angeles Kings. In 2015-16 he played for the Syracuse Crunch where he scored 29 goals and 49 points in 65 games, serving as a veteran leader for the team. The following season he was hired as an assistant coach for the University of Michigan.
In 2020, Tambellini became an NCAA Free Agent Recruiter and Pro Scout for the Lightning, but left in 2022 to join the Seattle Kraken as Director of Player Development, where he currently oversees the growth of Kraken prospects.
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“Tambellini formally worked for the Lightning, he joined them about seven or eight years ago, and he left after the 2022 season,” Friedman said.
“He went for a promotion in Seattle, and I’ve heard since that he’s someone Julien BriseBois knows and trusts and that he might be going back to Tampa as the AGM, we’ll see if it’s true.”
Photo Credit: Scott L. Thomas for the Syracuse Crunch