Gaunce, 29, skated in two games with the Lightning during the 2018-19 regular season, posting seven penalty minutes and a plus-3 rating. Gaunce made his Lightning debut on April 1 against the Ottawa Senators, recording seven penalty minutes. The 6-foot-2, 204-pound defenseman has appeared in 34 career NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins and Bolts over four seasons, registering two goals and five points to go along with 43 penalty minutes.
The Sudbury, Ontario native also appeared in 59 AHL games with the Syracuse Crunch during the 2018-19 season, recording 10 goals and 46 points to go along with 65 penalty minutes. He ranked first among all Syracuse defensemen for goals, assists and points. Gaunce also ranked sixth in the AHL among defensemen for assists and tied for seventh for points. He also skated in four Calder Cup Playoff games for Syracuse, posting a pair of assists.
Gaunce has skated in 594 career AHL games with the Cleveland Monsters, Wilkes/Barre-Scranton Penguins, Portland Pirates, Texas Stars and Crunch, collecting 34 goals and 217 points. He helped the Texas Stars win the Calder Cup in 2014, skating in 18 postseason games, recording four assists and a plus-6 rating.
Gaunce was originally drafted by Colorado in the second round, 50th overall, in the 2008 NHL Draft.
