Cal Foote to make NHL debut tonight in 2020-21 opener

The Tampa Bay Lightning will be without two key players for tonight's 2020-21 regular season opener versus Chicago.
Veterans Tyler Johnson and Luke Schenn won't be available for the Lightning on Opening Night. Both were placed on waivers Monday in an effort to take advantage of the CBA rules and create as much cap space and flexibility as possible. The two cleared waivers Tuesday but can't play in tonight's season opener. They'll be eligible to play Friday when the Bolts host the Blackhawks again at AMALIE Arena in game No. 2 of 2020-21 and going forward the rest of the season.
In the meantime, Cal Foote will make his NHL debut tonight with Schenn unable to play. Foote, Tampa Bay's First Round draft pick (14th overall) in 2017, has spent each of the last two seasons with the Syracuse Crunch, the Bolts' American Hockey League affiliate, developing into arguably the Lightning's top prospect.

His debut has been highly anticipated for a while as he was on the cusp of making the team out of training camp last season and was one of a handful of Syracuse players brought into the restart training camp in July.
"It's been a great couple days finding out that I'd be playing the first game," Foote said on Tuesday. "Very exciting. It's something I've dreamed of my whole life…I'll be ready to go tomorrow."

Foote performed well during the summer training camp helping to prepare the Lightning for what would eventually be a two-month run in the Toronto and Edmonton bubbles to the Stanley Cup. Teammates, head coach Jon Cooper and general manager Julien BriseBois were all pleased with his development and the strides he showed at camp.
Foote said holding his own - he scored a goal in one of two intrasquad scrimmages - against a team and players that would go on to win the Stanley Cup two months later gave him a lot of confidence heading into his offseason training.
"It made me feel more comfortable coming into this camp," he said. "It was a really small camp back in July, so it was nice to get to know the guys better, get to know the staff better and just feel more comfortable this time around."
Foote will be paired with veteran blueliner Ryan McDonagh for his debut. If it's happened on the ice in a NHL game, McDonagh, who will be entering his 11th season in the League and has 662 regular season games under his belt, has seen it.
Partnering Foote with McDonagh should provide a calming presence for the rookie when the two take their shifts together. It'll also give them a chance to talk on the bench about what they saw while out on the ice.

"I think one of the biggest things when you're making your NHL debut is staying calm and not letting your emotions get the best of you, and that's the best thing the vets can bring," Cooper said. "We'll see how this all plays out. It's not just 20 players you can get by in the regular season. You may need upwards of 26 or 28, and we're getting our first taste right here to see some of our depth. I'm pretty excited about it, and I'm sure Cal is. But it's always good when you're starting out is to have linemates or D partners that have that veteran presence."
McDonagh said the main thing for Foote is to just enjoy the moment and have fun.
"You've got to find a way to just let your instincts and your strengths take over," McDonagh said. "Don't try and do too much. Our defense is kind of moving all over the ice in different parts of the game but for him, he's just got to keep it real simple here and keep the game in front of him and allow himself to get more confident each and every shift."
Foote's debut will be unlike anything most NHL players have ever experienced. It will be played in front of an empty arena as AMALIE Arena won't host fans through at least February 5 due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in Hillsborough County. The Lightning will unveil their Stanley Cup championship banner. The Stanley Cup will be in the house.
The lack of fans could be a blessing in disguise though too.
"Maybe it'll ease that pressure," Bolts forward Blake Coleman said. "My first game was in Edmonton, and it was just a big blur. A lot of emotion. It was a close game, packed house. There was a lot of added pressure there when you're in front of all those people. The more and more you play, the more you drown that distraction out. Maybe it'll help just kind of make him feel like it's another day at the office and he can settle right into his game. He's been good here in camp, and we're excited to have him on the team. I can't speak from the no fan experience for the first game but hopefully it'll work to his advantage."

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