Yanni Gourde Bio
Yanni Gourde (born December 15, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Standing 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing around 175 pounds, Gourde has built his reputation on speed, smarts, and a relentless two-way work ethic. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, having lifted the trophy with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021, and has also spent time with the Seattle Kraken earlier in his career.
Born and raised in Quebec, Gourde was a late-round success story whose junior scoring prowess led him to professional hockey in North America. His journey from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) through the American Hockey League (AHL) to the NHL has made him a respected depth forward and an alternate captain.
Early Life and Background
Yanni Gourde was born on December 15, 1991, in Saint-Narcisse, Quebec, Canada. His parents named him after the Greek composer Yanni, having spotted the artist’s name in the credits of a film they watched while his mother was pregnant with him. The story has become a small piece of family lore and a reminder of how the future NHLer picked up his distinctive first name.
Gourde grew up playing minor hockey in Quebec, suiting up for minor ice hockey teams in the 2003, 2004, and 2005 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with Rive-Sud. He later played for the Lévis Commandeurs and the Jonquière Élites in the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League, sharpening his offensive game against strong competition.
In 2008, Gourde joined the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), launching his major-junior career at 16 years old.
Path to Hockey
Gourde’s first season with the Victoriaville Tigres in 2008–09 was a brief taste of major-junior hockey, as he recorded one assist in four games. He quickly earned a larger role, producing 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points in 59 games during 2009–10 and exploding for 26 goals and 42 assists in 68 games during 2010–11. By his final season in 2011–12, he had become one of the most dangerous forwards in the league.
That final QMJHL campaign was a defining one for Gourde. He posted 37 goals and 87 assists for 124 points in 68 games, earning the Jean Béliveau Trophy as the QMJHL’s top scorer and the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player. He was also named to the QMJHL First All-Star Team, signaling he was ready for the professional ranks.
After his dominant junior season, Gourde signed an amateur tryout with the Worcester Sharks of the AHL in April 2012. From there, he spent time with the San Francisco Bulls and the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL before landing an NHL opportunity with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization in 2014.
Yanni Gourde Career
Early Career (2012–2015)
Gourde’s first professional deal came with the Worcester Sharks, where he played four games at the end of 2011–12, recording one goal and two assists. The following season, he spent most of 2012–13 with the Sharks, scoring eight goals in 54 games, while also playing eight games with the ECHL affiliate San Francisco Bulls and collecting 10 points.
In 2013–14, Gourde played 30 games for the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL, tallying 15 goals and 34 points, before being re-signed by the Sharks on a 25-game professional tryout offer in January 2014. He produced at a point-per-game pace with Worcester, recording four goals and 21 assists for 25 points, and on March 10, 2014, he agreed to a two-year entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, splitting the rest of the season between the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, and Worcester.
Tampa Bay Lightning Breakthrough (2014–2021)
Gourde spent the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons primarily with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. He was named AHL Player of the Month for November 2014, finishing that campaign with 29 goals and 28 assists for 57 points in 76 games. He made his NHL debut on December 15, 2015, in a 5–4 overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, recording his first NHL assist on a goal by Mike Blunden.
After a brief recall during the 2016–17 season, Gourde scored his first NHL goal on March 11, 2017, a shorthanded tally against the Florida Panthers, becoming just the fourth Lightning player to score his first career goal while shorthanded. He ended that season with six goals and eight points in 20 NHL games, then returned to Syracuse and helped the Crunch reach the 2017 Calder Cup Final. On June 26, 2017, the Lightning signed him to a two-year, US$2,000,000 contract extension.
The 2017–18 season was Gourde’s true NHL breakthrough. He was named NHL Rookie of the Month for February 2018, tied Tyler Johnson’s franchise mark for most goals by a Lightning rookie with 25, and surpassed Brad Richards for the most points in a season by a Lightning rookie, finishing with 64 points. On November 2, 2018, the Lightning rewarded him with a six-year, US$31,000,000 contract extension.
Seattle Kraken Era (2021–2025)
On July 21, 2021, after winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, Gourde was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL expansion draft. Shoulder surgery forced him to miss the first two months of the 2021–22 season, but he returned on October 19 and scored his first goal for Seattle on October 26 against the Montreal Canadiens. He finished that season with 21 goals and 27 assists for 48 points in 74 games.
Gourde maintained his offensive pace in 2022–23 with another 48-point season, highlighted by an overtime goal against the Dallas Stars during the second round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs. In 2023–24, his production dipped to 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points in 80 games. On January 31, 2025, he underwent sports hernia surgery, ending his Kraken tenure on the injured list.
Tampa Bay Lightning Era (2025–Present)
On March 5, 2025, Gourde was traded back to Tampa Bay alongside Oliver Bjorkstrand as part of a three-team deal that sent Mikey Eyssimont to Seattle and brought Kyle Aucoin from the Detroit Red Wings. He suited up for 21 games with the Lightning to close the 2024–25 season, recording one goal and 13 assists. On June 2, 2025, the Lightning signed him to a six-year, US$13,980,000 contract, locking him in through 2031.
Driving Style and Strengths
Gourde is known for his quick skating, high hockey IQ, and tireless two-way play. Despite his 5-foot-9 frame, he plays with a physical edge and excels on the penalty kill, where his anticipation and shorthanded scoring touch, like his first NHL goal against Florida, have made him a coach’s favorite. His ability to drive a line’s pace and produce in the playoffs has been central to his value across three NHL organizations.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Gourde’s defining career moments are his 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup championships with the Lightning, his record-breaking 2017–18 rookie campaign, and his return to Tampa Bay in 2025 after four seasons in Seattle. He also became just the second player in Lightning history to record a multi-point game in his Stanley Cup playoff debut, doing so on April 12, 2018.
Yanni Gourde Career Wins
Across his professional career, Yanni Gourde has won two Stanley Cup championships with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021, and has helped carry teams deep into the AHL and NHL playoffs.
NHL and Junior Highlights
In the NHL, Gourde is best known for his back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021, plus a memorable run to the 2018 Eastern Conference Final with the Lightning. In the QMJHL, his 124-point 2011–12 season with the Victoriaville Tigres earned him the Jean Béliveau Trophy and Michel Brière Memorial Trophy.
Other Wins and Performances
In the AHL, Gourde helped the Syracuse Crunch reach the 2017 Calder Cup Final, posting nine goals and 27 points during the playoffs. He also earned AHL Player of the Month honors in November 2014 and was selected to the 2017 AHL All-Star Classic.
Yanni Gourde Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hockey, not racing, runs in Gourde’s family. He was raised in Saint-Narcisse, Quebec, by parents who gave him the distinctive first name Yanni after spotting the Greek composer Yanni in the credits of a film watched during his mother’s pregnancy.
Personal Life
Gourde is married to Marie-Andrée. The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Emma Kate Gourde, on May 1, 2018, between Games 2 and 3 of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs. The family makes their home in North America as Gourde continues his NHL career.
2025 Season Performance
Yanni Gourde’s 2024–25 campaign was bookended by injury and a trade back to Tampa Bay. After being limited by a sports hernia that required surgery on January 31, 2025, he played just one more game for the Seattle Kraken before being dealt to the Lightning on March 5 as part of a three-team transaction.
Upon arriving in Tampa Bay, Gourde slotted into a depth and special-teams role, finishing the season with one goal and 13 assists across 21 games with the Lightning. His steady two-way play and penalty-killing reliability made him a useful bottom-six piece during the Lightning’s playoff push.
Looking ahead, Gourde is signed through 2031 on a six-year, US$13,980,000 contract and is expected to remain a fixture on Tampa Bay’s penalty kill and bottom-six forward group. With the Lightning continuing to build around veteran leadership, Gourde’s mix of speed, hockey sense, and championship experience figures to play a steady role in the team’s outlook.