The Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League has been the Tampa Bay Lightning minor league affiliate since the 2012-2013 season, and has been a spot where some of the organizations brightest young prospects have gone to develop their skill so they may one day crack the NHL roster. The team, led by head coach Rob Zettler, went into the 2014-2015 season with expectations to continue this trend.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The 2014-2015 Syracuse Crunch team performed well under what sometimes seemed to be impossible circumstances. As the injury bug struck time and time again in Lightning land, it was up to players from the Crunch roster to fill in for a depleted Lightning roster at different points throughout the season.