TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning made five selections during Day 2 of the 2023 NHL Draft today at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The Lightning’s 2023 draft is presented by Florida Blue.
On Wednesday, Tampa Bay traded Ross Colton to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for the 37th overall pick in the second round, which they used today to select forward Ethan Gauthier from the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the QMJHL. Born in Phoenix, Arizona, but also a Canadian national, he ranked fourth on Sherbrooke for scoring with 30 goals and 69 points in 66 games played. Gauthier was traded earlier this month from Sherbrooke to the Drummondville Voltigeurs for three first-round selections in the QMJHL Draft.
In the fourth round, the Lightning traded their previously-acquired fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft to the Nashville Predators in exchange for the 115th overall selection to pick forward Jayson Shaugabay from Warroad High School in Minnesota. Shaugabay, a 5-foot-9, 168-pound center tallied 33 goals and 96 points in 31 games with Warroad, earning the title of Minnesota Mr. Hockey. He also saw action in 27 games with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL in 2022-23, picking up three goals and 16 points. Shaugabay is committed to play college hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
With the 179th overall selection in the sixth round the Lightning selected defenseman Warren Clark from the Steinbach Pistons of the MJHL. A native of Riverside, Ontario, Clark posted six goals and 38 points in 55 regular-season games. Clark also saw action in 18 MJHL playoff games and ranked second among rookies in scoring with one goal and eight points, helping his team to an MJHL Championship. The 6-foot-3, 194-pound defenseman is committed to play college hockey at St. Cloud State University.
The Lightning used their first pick in the seventh round, 193rd overall, to select forward Jack Harvey from the Chicago Steel of the USHL. A native of Stacy, Minnesota, Harvey ranked fourth in scoring among all USHL skaters in 2022-23, posting 40 goals and 74 points in 62 games. The 5-foot-10, 176-pound forward won the USHL Championship with Chicago in 2020-21 and was named to the USHL’s Second All-Star Team in 2022-23. Harvey is committed to Boston University for the 2023-24 season.
With their second pick in the seventh round, 211th overall, the Lightning selected forward Ethan Hay from the Flint Firebirds of the OHL. Hay, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound center, was the 2022-23 recipient of the Ivan Tennant Memorial Award, given to the top academic high school player in the OHL. A native of Waterloo, Ontario, tallied 17 goals and 28 points in 64 games with Flint this past season, in addition to winning 55 percent of his faceoffs.
Lightning Selections at 2023 NHL Draft
- Round 2 – 37 overall (from Colorado) | F Ethan Gauthier | Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
- Round 4 – 115 overall (from Nashville) | F Jayson Shaugabay | Warroad HS (HIGH-MN)
- Round 6 – 179 overall | D Warren Clark | Steinbach (MJHL)
- Round 7 – 193 overall | F Jack Harvey | Chicago (USHL)
- Round 7 – 211 overall | F Ethan Hay | Flint (OHL)
