“Very good day for the Lomberg family yesterday,” said Lomberg, whose son, Roman, was born back in April of 2022. “The baby and my wife are doing well. Everybody’s healthy and happy. …
“Kind of tough to put into words what it means to be a father. It’s something that’s bigger than hockey. … Looking beyond hockey, something that I’ve always wanted was a big family. Very excited to welcome another little Lomberg into the family. Very, very lucky and fortunate.”
When he arrived at the rink on Friday, Lomberg was greeted by a wave of congratulations.
“It was a big day,” Panthers defenseman Josh Mahura said of welcoming Lomberg back. “That’s some of the best parts, to see a guy have a new challenge and bring new life in and being able to just celebrate with him. I just think that’s the kind of brotherhood that we have in this room.”
In addition to his own fatherly duties at home, Lomberg has long had a reputation around the locker room of being one of the guys that always looks out for younger players and prospects.
For players just getting started, he knows that comfort and encouragement can go a long way.
“I think it’s important as a teammate to make everyone feel comfortable, right?” Lomberg said. “That’s definitely something that I pride myself on, making sure everyone is comfortable as they can be and feeling involved and that nobody’s feeling like they’re not supposed to be here.”
With his dad strength now doubled, Lomberg is looking ahead to a big season in 2023-24.
Playing in all 82 games for the first time in his career last season, the 28-year-old ball of energy and aggression posted new career-high marks in goals (12) and points (20). In the playoffs, he scored one goal in 13 games, giving him a goal in three straight postseasons with the Panthers.
Happy just to be “grinding away with the guys” again on his first day of training camp, Lomberg thinks the Panthers are poised to build off their exciting run to the Stanley Cup Final last season.
“We’re all excited to see what can accomplish this year,” he said, beaming with confidence. “We obviously fell a little short last year, but I think as an organization we took some big steps.”
As for what he can do to improve his own game, the key will continue to be consistency.
“Just being more consistent was something I want to pride myself in, and I think I took a step in the right direction, said Lomberg, who also dished out a career-high 149 hits last season. “I’m just looking to improve on that again this season. I’m just very excited to get back out there.”
