Darren Raddysh sets Lightning single season record for goals by defenseman
A grizzled pro has made some history in the Sunshine State.
On Saturday, Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh scored the 21st goal of his season, setting a new single-season franchise record for goals by a defender.
The goal came later in the third period against the rival Boston Bruins, taking a bad-angle shot that fooled goaltender Jeremy Swayman to give the Lightning a 2-1 lead.
What a night for Darren Raddysh: ⚡️Gives the @TBLightning the lead ⚡️Breaks a franchise record
FRANCHISE RECORD FOR DARREN RADDYSH! ⚡️ With his 21st goal of the season, he's passed Dan Boyle and Victor Hedman for the most goals by a @TBLightning defenseman in a single season!
Tampa would go on to win the game, 3-1, taking sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division. Raddysh now sits tied for second in goals by a defenseman this season with Columbus Blue Jackets star Zach Werenski, both trailing Washington Capitals blueliner Jakob Chychrun, who has 24 goals thus far.
Raddysh surpassed current Lightning captain Victor Hedman and former NHL rearguard Dan Boyle for the most goals by a Bolts’ blueliner. Boyle, who played for Tampa from 2002 to 2008, scored 20 goals during the 2006-07 season, in which he also notched a career-best 63 points. Hedman posted 20 goals in 2021-22, notching 85 points, which stands as a career-high in the big Swede’s career.
The big takeaway from the record-breaking day in Tampa was that…Darren Raddysh might’ve been the last guy you’d expected to score 20 goals. The Toronto native put in the work to get to the NHL, playing five seasons in the American Hockey League before getting his shot with the Lightning during the 2021-22 campaign. He didn’t become a full-time NHLer until two years later.
Even in his first two complete seasons in Tampa, Raddysh has been seen more as a secondary scoring threat, despite being a respectable puck-mover, scoring just six goals in each of the past two years. This year, everything has seemingly clicked for the 30-year-old and the team around him. While the Bolts have rebounded and placed themselves back at the top of the Eastern Conference, Raddysh has had a season to remember, also posting 46 assists and 67 points, a mark he hasn’t reached since his time with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League.
In 245 regular-season games, Raddysh has potted 34 goals and 106 assists for 140 points, with two points in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games.