Summary
Season 4 of Into the Blue is officially underway! Hosts Gabby Shirley and Ben Pierce return to kick off another Tampa Bay Lightning season, catch up after the summer, and dive into the biggest storylines surrounding the team ahead of Opening Night. They discuss the roster decisions coming out of training camp, the crowded blue line battle, Nikita Kucherov's contract situation, and what stood out most from a highly competitive camp. Plus, the fan-favorite Plus/Minus segment returns with plenty of offseason stories, including weddings, engagements, new homes, a missing dog adventure, and more. Timestamps0:00 Welcome back to Season 4 of Into the Blue2:15 Meet the hosts: Gabby & Ben catch up after the offseason4:20 What's new this season? Listener feedback & behind-the-scenes plans7:05 Benjamin Rautiainen loaned back to Finland and roster implications8:40 Breaking down the Lightning's Opening Night roster11:40 Victor Hedman's return and expectations for the season14:15 The battle on the blue line: Why eight NHL defensemen creates tough decisions21:45 The latest on Nikita Kucherov's contract situation25:00 Plus/Minus returns26:00 Eric Cernak's Lake Como wedding & Conor Geekie's engagement30:00 Ben's summer plus: Buying a new home in Tampa33:00 Gabby's summer plus: Celebrating her grandmother's 90th birthday35:00 Ben's summer minus: The dreaded dentist appointment36:30 Gabby's unbelievable missing dog story42:30 Final thoughts and looking ahead to the new season Subscribe, follow, and send in your questions for future episodes as Into the Blue brings you even more behind-the-scenes access throughout the 2026-27 Tampa Bay Lightning seasonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.