SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks ahead Barclay Goodrow turned all too aware of Florida’s wild climate patterns throughout his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“Throughout COVID at three o’clock every day, I’d just sit on the balcony and watch the thunderstorm last about 15 minutes, then carry on with the day, and it would be sunny again,” Goodrow mentioned.
However Goodrow by no means skilled a hurricane, a lot much less an enormous one like Hurricane Milton, which might convey as a lot as 15 toes of storm surge to the Tampa-St. Petersburg space because it bears down on the area.
On Tuesday, Hurricane Milton was upgraded to a Class 5 storm because it churned in a northeast path within the Gulf of Mexico. The possibly catastrophic storm is anticipated to land on the west coast of Florida late Wednesday as a Class 3 Hurricane, which carries winds between 111-129 mph.
Milton’s arrival in Florida comes lower than two weeks after Hurricane Helene slammed elements of the Southeastern U.S., killing a minimum of 230 individuals. As of Tuesday night time, near 90,000 North Carolina prospects and 46,000 in Georgia remained with out energy.
Officers are apprehensive that the particles left behind by Helene’s destruction might flip into projectiles as Milton wreaks havoc on any doubly affected areas.
“They always hope that it takes a reroute and isn’t as bad as what people are scared of.”
Amid an enormous evacuation within the area, each the Lightning and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have already left the realm. The Lightning relocated to Raleigh, N.C., on Monday night time, and the Buccaneers left for New Orleans on Tuesday. The Lightning open their season on the highway Friday in opposition to the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Buccaneers play the Saints on Sunday.
As of Tuesday night, the Lightning’s dwelling opener Saturday in opposition to Carolina remained on the schedule.
After it makes landfall, Milton is anticipated to cross the Florida panhandle, dumping as a lot as 18 inches or rain, earlier than exiting into the Atlantic Ocean by Thursday afternoon.
The undrafted Goodrow spent the primary five-plus years of his skilled profession with the Sharks group and performed 268 video games with the NHL staff earlier than he was traded to Tampa Bay in Feb. 2020. He gained two Stanley Cups with the Lightning earlier than he was traded in July 2021 to the New York Rangers, who then signed him to a six-year, $21.85 million contract.
Nonetheless, as a part of a late June wage cap transfer, the Rangers put Goodrow on waivers, one thing the ahead reportedly didn’t grow to be conscious of till shortly earlier than it occurred. The next day, the Sharks, one of many 15 groups Goodrow had on his no-trade listing, claimed him.
Goodrow mentioned initially of coaching camp that he wished to depart that drama within the rearview mirror and added Tuesday that he was excited to get the season going. It seems he’ll begin Thursday’s season-opener in opposition to the St. Louis Blues on a line with Alexander Wennberg, his former Rangers teammate, and Luke Kunin.
“It’s been over with for a while now,” Goodrow mentioned. “Happy to be here, and it’s been fun getting to know all the guys here. It’s a really good combination of young guys, some older guys, and I think we’re going to prove a lot of people wrong this year, and it’s going to be fun.”
The Related Press contributed to this story.
Initially Printed: October 8, 2024 at 6:56 p.m.
