Halverson was reassigned to AHL Syracuse on Wednesday.
Jonas Johansson (personal) rejoined the Lightning Tuesday, which is why Halverson can be returned to the minors. Halverson made his first NHL start Saturday, stopping 19 of 24 shots in a 6-4 loss to Utah. Tampa Bay recalled Cam Atkinson from the AHL in a corresponding move.
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Lightning's Brandon Halverson: First NHL start
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Halverson made 19 saves in a 6-4 loss to Utah on Saturday. He allowed five goals.
It was his first NHL start, and the loss wasn't on him. As Bolts coach Jon Cooper said in the post-game scrum, Halverson's teammates simply didn't play well enough in front of their netminder, especially against a gritty team that was hungry to claw its way to a wild-card spot. Halverson will be with the Bolts until Jonas Johansson (personal) returns to the squad. He may not get another start, but at least he lived out his dream. Halverson had made one appearance in relief several seasons ago, but he'd never seen his name in the starting lineup until Saturday.
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Lightning's Brandon Halverson: Expected to start Saturday
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Halverson will start on the road against Utah on Saturday, per Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun.
Jonas Johansson isn't an option because he's back in Tampa Bay due to a family matter. Halverson has a 2.32 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 34 appearances with AHL Syracuse in 2024-25. Although Halverson made an NHL relief appearance during the 2017-18 campaign, this will be the 28-year-old's first career start at the top level. Utah ranks 20th in goals per game with 2.83.
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Lightning's Brandon Halverson: Back with Tampa
Rotowire
Halverson was recalled from AHL Syracuse on Saturday.
Barring an injury or illness, Halverson could be Tampa Bay's third goaltending option behind Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jonas Johansson. The 28-year-old Halverson hasn't appeared in an NHL regular-season game since 2017-18, when he made one appearance with the Rangers.
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Lightning's Brandon Halverson: Dropped to AHL
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Halverson was returned to AHL Syracuse on Monday, per Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site.
Halverson has been the backup goalie behind Andrei Vasilevskiy in the last four games. If Jonas Johansson (lower body) remains unavailable after the 4 Nations Face-Off, Halverson could rejoin the Lightning. The 28-year-old Halverson has a 12-7-7 record with a 2.20 GAA and a .918 save percentage in 26 AHL appearances this season.
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Lightning's Brandon Halverson: Placed on waivers
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Halverson was put on waivers Thursday, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Halverson was signed to a two-year contract by the Lightning on Monday. Halverson will likely be returned to AHL Syracuse, should he pass through waivers, but he could still back up Andrei Vasilevskiy on Thursday, as Jonas Johansson (lower body) remains out of action through the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
Halverson was recalled from AHL Syracuse on Monday after signing a two-year contract with Tampa Bay, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.
Halverson has a 12-7-7 record with a 2.20 GAA and a .918 save percentage through 26 AHL appearances this season. If Jonas Johansson (lower body) remains unavailable, Halverson could be the backup behind Andrei Vasilevskiy in Tuesday's home game versus Ottawa.
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Lightning's Brandon Halverson: Attempting NHL comeback
Rotowire
Halverson is attempting an NHL comeback with the Lightning.
Halverson was taken by the Rangers two rounds before Igor Shesterkin in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft but hasn't played in the NHL since his lone game for the organization in 2017-18. Since then, he played in the ECHL and Germany's second division before earning an AHL contract with Syracuse last season. Halverson split his time between the AHL and ECHL in 2023-24 before becoming Syracuse's starter in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He's a long shot, but he has a dream.
