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Meet the 2 Lightning prospects in tonight’s Frozen Four in Tampa

matt baker, tampa bay times
·2 min read

TAMPA — Though Minnesota forward Connor Kurth doesn’t want to look too far ahead at the Frozen Four, he can’t help but acknowledge the possibility of what might happen Saturday: winning an NCAA national championship at Amalie Arena, on the home ice of the Lightning franchise that drafted him.

“There wouldn’t be too many things cooler in my lifetime,” Kurth said.

Tampa Bay picked Kurth in the sixth round last year, but hockey allows its prospects to develop in college before becoming full-time professionals. That has created a rare, unforgettable opportunity for Kurth and Michigan forward Dylan Duke (a fourth-round pick by the Lightning in 2021), who play in Thursday’s semifinals.

“It’s definitely pretty special to be here,” Duke said.

Both are notable contributors on their college teams. Kurth, a Minnesota native, has seven goals and three assists as a freshman for the tournament’s top seed. Duke has 18 goals and 14 assists, including one on the overtime goal that beat Penn State in the regional final.

Wolverines coach Brandon Naurato said Duke has continued to grow as a leader and is on track to be one of the best front-of-the-net players in Michigan history.

“We need more people like Dylan Duke at Michigan in the future,” Naurato said.

The Lightning continue to keep tabs on both prospects. Kurth said he gets occasional text messages from the franchise, including general manager Julien BriseBois (that’s Mr. BriseBois, to Kurth). Duke, an Ohio native, talks on the phone with director of player development J.P. Cote every few weeks and gets tips from the team’s skating coaches.

Eventually, the coaching could materialize into roster spots with the Lightning — and plenty more games for both at Amalie Arena.

“Just knowing that could be a possibility one day is a really cool and exciting experience,” Kurth said.

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