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Dominic James

Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Dominic James

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The Tampa Bay Lightning announced today that forward Dominic James has been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.

James, 23, was originally a draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, selected in the sixth round, 173rd overall. The selection was made after James’ freshman season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he scored six goals and 18 points in 39 games and helped the school win its third NCHC Tournament title.

After his freshman season, James quickly grew into a key player in Duluth. He was tied for the team lead in scoring as a sophomore with 28 points in 35 games. Although he missed almost all of 2023-24 after undergoing shoulder surgery, he rebounded very well in 2024-25. James led Duluth in scoring with 30 points in 35 games, and although the program didn’t reach the same highs they’d reached in his freshman season, James had nonetheless positioned himself well to earn an entry-level contract.

James signed a two-year entry-level deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning in September, and it’s possible he and/or his representatives (led by Wasserman’s Chris Lepkowski) felt James would have a clearer path to NHL action in Tampa Bay compared to Chicago. Had he signed in Chicago, James would have joined an organization with an extremely crowded prospect pool – they were recently ranked No. 5 in the NHL by EliteProspects. By contrast, the team at EliteProspects ranked the Lightning’s prospect pool last in the NHL.

While it’s impossible to say for sure what kind of opportunity to play in the NHL James would have received had he signed in Chicago at any point while his rights were held by the team, it’s clear that if his decision to sign in Tampa was indeed motivated by potentially seeing a fast-track to the NHL, James’ decision has been rewarded. This call-up is James’ first, and positions him to potentially make his NHL debut tomorrow against the Blackhawks.

James didn’t just earn this recall through his exemplary NCAA play, though, it’s his fast start to his first pro campaign that likely sealed the deal. James is currently tied for the Crunch’s team lead in scoring Jakob Pelletier, who is a 2019 first-round pick with 86 games of NHL experience. James has scored three goals and five points in four games, helping Syracuse to a strong 4-0-0 start. James’ performance in front of the Lightning coaches and executives during training camp and the preseason also likely helped his case. Per Natural Stat Trick, he registered two assists in four preseason games to go alongside 10 hits.

As for where James might play should he be dressed for tomorrow’s game, it’s possible he gets a look in the fourth-line left wing spot. According to team reporter Benjamin Pierce, Jack Finley and Curtis Douglas both got looks in that spot at practice today. While both Douglas and Finley have a size and strength advantage over James, the Lightning may turn to James for more of an offensive spark.

Lightning Sign Dominic James To Entry-Level Deal

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The Lightning have signed college free agent forward Dominic James to an entry-level contract, per a team press release. It’s a two-year deal for the 23-year-old, who was initially a Blackhawks draft pick but became an unrestricted free agent last month after failing to sign with them following his senior season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

PuckPedia reports that the deal will carry a $910K cap hit and an AAV of $975K, breaking down as follows:

2025-26: $775K NHL salary, $97.5K signing bonus, $102.5K games played bonus
2026-27: $850K NHL salary, $97.5K signing bonus, $27.5K games played bonus

James, a sixth-round selection in the 2022 draft, had a strong showing for the Bulldogs in 2024-25 after losing most of his junior year to injury. He appeared in 35 games, serving as an alternate captain and leading the team in scoring with a 14-16–30 line. Those numbers brought him to 30 goals, 47 assists, and 77 points in 111 games for his collegiate career.

The Michigan native went undrafted twice before being selected by Chicago. In the 2021-22 campaign that preceded his selection, he worked his way onto the United States’ roster for the World Juniors, scoring one assist in five games at the tournament amid his freshman season in Duluth.

James wasn’t a huge loss for an already deep Blackhawks prospect pool. He didn’t check in as one of the top 15 names in the system to watch when Scott Wheeler of The Athletic did his last round of rankings in February. He could challenge as a top-10 or top-15 piece in a markedly weaker Tampa pool, though. He’s a significant addition for the club in that regard, especially after they lost a college free agent to the Avalanche when 2021 sixth-rounder Alex Gagne signed in Colorado a few weeks ago.

He’ll be ticketed to spend the year with the Bolts’ AHL affiliate in Syracuse. A midseason call-up wouldn’t be out of the question, but expecting him to compete for an NHL job – particularly after not starting camp with the Bolts – isn’t realistic.

Blackhawks Notes: James, Bedard, Sörensen, Brossoit

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It seems unlikely that the Chicago Blackhawks will sign one of their collegiate prospects to an entry-level deal. Relayed by Scott Powers of The Athletic, Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson shared in the team’s end-of-season press availability that prospect Dominic James will likely pursue other options for his professional career and become an unrestricted free agent on August 15th.

Normally, a former sixth-round draft pick becoming a collegiate free agent wouldn’t be newsworthy. However, James has established himself as a particularly capable two-way winger in the NCAA, possessing a defensive and offensive maturity that NHL teams would be interested in.

Although last year was mired by injury, James scored 30 goals and 77 points in 111 contests for the University of Minnesota-Duluth over the past four campaigns. He’s unlikely to earn a full-time role in the NHL out of training camp next year, but cleaner paths toward the NHL should emerge for him this offseason.

Other notes from Chicago:

  • Although he’s ineligible for unrestricted free agency for some time, the Blackhawks can sign Connor Bedard to a long-term extension on July 1st. It doesn’t sound like he’ll have any issues if that came to pass, as Ben Pope of The Chicago Sun-Times quoted Bedard saying, “I love it here, and I have a great relationship with Kyle and everyone… I know that I want to be here for a long time.” It wouldn’t be surprising, especially considering the past several years, to see a former first-overall selection sign an extension relatively quickly with the club that drafted him.
  • After another disappointing campaign, it’s understandable that Chicago would want to explore different coaching options this summer. Still, that doesn’t mean interim head coach Anders Sörensen wants to leave the organization. Pope reported that Sörensen is open to taking another role within the organization. Before being named the team’s interim head coach on December 5th, he served as head coach for the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs since 2022-23.
  • Despite being signed to a two-year, $6.6MM contract last summer, netminder Laurent Brossoit didn’t appear in a game for the Blackhawks this season due to injury. Still lacking clarity regarding the seriousness of his injury, Pope shared that Chicago was hopeful Brossoit “may” be healthy for next season, and could battle for a roster spot out of training camp. Regardless of Brossoit’s status, the Blackhawks already have their tandem for next year in Spencer Knight and Arvid Söderblom.

West Notes: Anhorn, James, Mangiapane, Danault

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The Jets have displayed interest in top college free agent defenseman Dylan Anhorn, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reports. The Canadian blue-liner has displayed mutual interest in returning north of the border after spending five years in the American collegiate system with Union and St. Cloud State. Anhorn, 25, was one of many who had their 2020-21 season lost due to the COVID pandemic, permitting him to play a fifth year of NCAA puck this season. Serving as St. Cloud’s captain, the left-shot defender led the team with 27 assists and a +14 rating and totaled 33 points in 38 games. He’s been a veritable force in college ever since making the jump from the BCHL in 2019, tallying 36 points and a +2 rating in 66 games with Union before transferring to St. Cloud in 2022. He erupted for over a point per game there last season but had his campaign stunted by injuries, limited to 23 games. The 6’0″, 190-lb Calgary native was St. Cloud’s nominee for this year’s Hobey Baker Award and won an NCHC championship with the school in 2023.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference:

  • Blackhawks forward prospect Dominic James will return to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for his senior season in 2024-25, per Scott Powers of The Athletic. The alternate captain of the Bulldogs had his season end all the way back in October after just two games, recording one assist before undergoing season-ending surgery to address an upper-body injury. Chicago had considered offering him an entry-level contract, per Powers, but a jump to the professional ranks would have been difficult after such a lengthy period away from the ice. James, 21, went undrafted twice before Chicago took a flyer on him in the sixth round of the 2022 draft after a banner freshman season with the Bulldogs. Finishing with six goals and 18 points in 39 games, James helped them capture the NCHC championship and was named to the All-Tournament Team. He was also named to the U.S. national junior team, representing his country at the 2022 World Juniors with an assist in five games.
  • Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane could return tomorrow against the Jets after a three-game absence, head coach Ryan Huska told Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960. The 27-year-old sustained an undisclosed injury against the Blackhawks on March 26, causing his third, fourth and fifth absences of the season. It’s been another season of solid middle-six production for the diminutive winger, tied for sixth on the team in scoring with 13 goals and 38 points in 69 games. He’s averaging 16:06 per game, down from last season’s career-high of 16:49.
  • Kings center Phillip Danault will again be a game-time decision with an upper-body injury tonight in a crucial game against the Kraken, interim head coach Jim Hiller told Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period. Their playoff chances could drop south of 90% with a loss, per MoneyPuck, opening a small window for the Blues and Wild to make miracle late-season runs into playoff position. Danault was also listed as a game-time decision for Monday’s 4-3 loss to Winnipeg but did not play. Their top shutdown center hasn’t played since March 28 against the Oilers and has now missed two contests.

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