ELLENTON, Fla. - Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Slater Koekkoek is beginning to get used to the Florida lifestyle. If things go well, he'll be playing in the Sunshine State for years to come.
Koekkoek, 22, from North Dundas, Ontario, played in nine games for the Lightning last season, and spent the entire Eastern Conference First Round against the Detroit Red Wings as a member of the team's "black aces."
However, in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Second Round series against the New York Islanders, Koekkoek was in the lineup and played in 10 of the team's final 11 Stanley Cup playoff games, eventually pushing veteran Matt Carle to the bench and increasing his ice time with each appearance.