By Matt Stefano
Another former Soo Thunderbird has made the NHL!
It was announced today on Thanksgiving Day that former Soo Thunderbirds forward Boris Katchouk has cracked the Tampa Bay Lightning’s roster for the 2021-2022 season.
Katchouk, who is about to enter his first season with the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, spent one season with the Soo Thunderbirds back in 2014-2015, where he put up 18 goals and 45 points in just 29 regular season games.
That season (2014-2015), Katchouk also helped the Thunderbirds win the Copeland Cup McNamara Trophy and a Dudley Hewitt Cup title.
Following his first and only season with the Thunderbirds, the Waterloo, Ontario product then went on to play three full seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Soo Greyhounds from 2015-2018.
For the last three seasons, the 23-year-old forward has been playing hockey with the American Hockey League’s Syracuse Crunch, who are the affiliate team of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning.
Last season with the Crunch, Katchouk also finished first in team scoring with 34 points in 29 regular season games.
He was then called up by the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs.
“We are thrilled for Boris and his family,” said Soo Thunderbirds assistant coach and general manager Jamie Henderson. “I’m sure his experience with the Lightning this past summer during the playoffs and getting a chance to lift the Stanley Cup has motivated him to keep pushing for that roster spot. He’s always had tremendous talent and he will always be remembered as one of the all-time great Soo Thunderbirds.”
With Katchouk now making the NHL, there will now be a total of three former Soo Thunderbirds playing in the NHL this season.
The other two former Thunderbirds that are currently playing in the NHL, are blueliners Jake Muzzin (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Colin Miller (Buffalo Sabres).
Katchouk and the Lightning will open up their National Hockey League season tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m., when they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay.
(Former of Boris Katchouk with the Soo Thunderbirds credit to James Egan’s Sports Photography)
