TAMPA — The boys of winter hibernate in summer.
Those summer months offer a chance to rest, relax and recover from the rigors of hockey season, to travel and spend quiet time with family.
Unless the winter extends into the summer, as it did for the Tampa Bay Lightning last season when they advanced to the Stanley Cup Final. The NHL regular season ended April 11, but the Lightning played through June 15 — another two months.
Three months later, it’s time to report to training camp, even though it seems like just a few days since players said their goodbyes and parted ways for the summer.