Brayden Point

Lore & Background

Point began his major junior career after being drafted in the first round, fourteenth overall by the Moose Jaw Warriors of the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft. In his NHL draft year, he led the Warriors in scoring with 36 goals and 91 points in 72 games and participated in the 2014 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. He was ranked 31st among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting Services before being drafted by the Lightning. Point returned to the Warriors for the 2014–15 season, again leading the team in scoring, and signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Lightning on March 26, 2015. He then joined the Lightning's AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, recording two goals and two assists in nine games.

Point made the Lightning's opening night roster out of training camp on October 11, 2016, after an impressive camp with three preseason goals. He made his NHL debut on October 13 in a 6–4 win over the Detroit Red Wings, recorded his first NHL point on October 15, and his first NHL goal on November 5. In the 2018 playoffs, Point recorded his first career playoff goal and ended with seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in 17 games. He recorded his first career natural hat-trick on November 15, 2018, with three goals in 1 minute and 31 seconds, the sixth-fastest in NHL history. Point ended the 2018–19 season with 41 goals and 51 assists for 92 points in 79 games, helping the Lightning capture their first Presidents' Trophy.

On September 23, 2019, Point re-signed to a three-year, $20.25 million extension and revealed he had undergone hip surgery to repair a torn labrum. In the 2020 playoffs, he scored the winning goal in game one of the first round in quintuple overtime, and later recorded a five-point night in the Eastern Conference final, setting a franchise record for most points in a single playoff game. He led the league in playoff goals (14) and had 33 points. In the 2021 playoffs, he again led with 14 goals and 23 points as the Lightning repeated as champions. On July 28, 2021, Point signed an eight-year, $76 million extension. He scored his 200th NHL goal on February 23, 2023, and ended the 2022–23 season with 51 goals and 44 assists for 95 points in all 82 games, leading the team in goals. He was named a finalist for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

Reader's Guide

Brayden Point's significance lies in his consistent high-level performance in the NHL playoffs, particularly his back-to-back Stanley Cup victories with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021. He led the playoffs in goal-scoring both years, including scoring the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in 2020. His 14 playoff goals in each championship run place him among elite postseason scorers. Point also set a franchise record for most points in a single playoff game with a five-point night in the 2020 Eastern Conference final. His regular-season achievements include a 51-goal season in 2022–23, leading the Lightning in goals, and being named a finalist for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. Point's durability and skill are underscored by his return from a torn quad in the 2022 playoffs, playing in the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final despite the injury. His eight-year, $76 million contract extension signed in 2021 reflects his long-term value to the franchise. Point's natural hat-trick in 1 minute and 31 seconds, the sixth-fastest in NHL history, highlights his offensive explosiveness. As a third-round draft pick who developed into a core player, Point exemplifies the Lightning's scouting and player development success.

Did You Know?

• Point scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal of the 2020 Stanley Cup Final.
• Point set a franchise record with a five-point game in the 2020 Eastern Conference final.
• He was drafted in the third round, 79th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2014.

From Moose Jaw to Tampa Bay – The Junior Years

Brayden Point's path to the NHL was forged in the Western Hockey League, where the Moose Jaw Warriors selected him 14th overall in the 2011 Bantam Draft. His development was rapid: in his first full season he tallied 24 goals and 57 points across 67 games, and by his NHL draft year he was leading the Warriors in scoring with 36 goals and 91 points in 72 contests. That standout campaign earned him a spot in the 2014 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, and the NHL Central Scouting Services ranked him 31st among North American skaters. The Tampa Bay Lightning took a calculated risk, selecting him in the third round, 79th overall, in the 2014 NHL entry draft. Point returned to Moose Jaw for the 2014–15 season, again leading the team in scoring, before signing a three-year entry-level deal with Tampa on March 26, 2015. He closed his junior career with 35 goals and 88 points in 48 games, followed by a brief AHL stint with the Syracuse Crunch, where he recorded two goals and two assists in nine regular-season games.

Earning a Spot – A Debut Season Written in Unusual Order

Point made the opening night roster for the 2016–17 season after an impressive training camp that included three preseason goals. Captain Steven Stamkos publicly endorsed his inclusion, and general manager Steve Yzerman noted the team felt he had earned the right to receive a look immediately. His NHL debut came on October 13, 2016, in a 6–4 victory over Detroit. Two days later he recorded his first NHL point, assisting on Valtteri Filppula's game-winner against New Jersey. On October 18, Point etched his name into a rare statistical club: he scored a shootout goal against Florida's James Reimer before he had even recorded his first career NHL goal, making him the 27th player ever to accomplish that feat and only the 13th to win a shootout before his first regular-season goal. His first actual goal arrived on November 5, a power-play redirection off Nikita Kucherov's slap shot in a 4–1 win over New Jersey. A December upper-body injury sidelined him for four to six weeks, but he returned on January 31 and was named NHL Third Star of the Week on April 10.

Back-to-Back Champion – The 2020 and 2021 Cups

The 2020 Stanley Cup run remains one of Point's most defining achievements. In the first round against Columbus, he scored the winning goal with 9:33 remaining in quintuple overtime in Game 1—the fourth-longest game in NHL history—and then added an overtime winner in Game 5 to close out the series. In the Eastern Conference Final, he posted a franchise-record five-point performance in an 8–2 rout of the New York Islanders. When the Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars in six games to claim the title on September 28, Point had led all playoff scorers in goals with 14, adding 19 assists for 33 total points. He and Nikita Kucherov became the first teammates to lead the playoffs in goal-scoring in consecutive years, as Point repeated the feat in 2021, scoring the Cup-clinching goal that season as well. The back-to-back championships cemented his status as a postseason force, transforming a third-round draft pick into one of the most feared centremen in the league during the most critical weeks of the year.

Milestones and Resilience – Hat-Tricks, Trophies, and Comebacks

Point's career is punctuated by moments of extraordinary individual brilliance. On November 15, 2018, he recorded his first natural hat-trick in a 4–3 win over Pittsburgh, scoring all three goals within just one minute and 31 seconds—the sixth-fastest three-goal burst in NHL history. That same 2018–19 season, his 41 goals and 92 points helped Tampa Bay capture their first-ever Presidents' Trophy, though the team was swept by Columbus in the first round. Resilience defined his next chapter: after undergoing hip surgery during the 2019 off-season to repair a torn labrum, he returned to post 64 points in 66 games before the pandemic ended the regular season. The Lightning rewarded his commitment by re-signing him to a three-year, $20.25 million extension on September 23, 2019. His 2018 All-Star selection—replacing the injured Victor Hedman—marked the first of what would become a steady ascent into the NHL's elite tier.