1997–98 Tampa Bay Lightning season
The 1997–98 Tampa Bay Lightning season was the Lightning's sixth season of operation.Offseason
Regular season
The Lightning struggled offensively during the regular season, being shut out a league-high 11 times and finishing 26th in goals scored, power-play goals scored and power-play percentage. The 9.35% power play is the lowest in NHL history in one season by any team.Final standings
Game log
Playoffs
The Lightning missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year.Player stats
Regular season
;Scoring
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG |
| C | 82 | 13 | 27 | 40 | 32 | -43 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| RW | 68 | 16 | 22 | 38 | 34 | -37 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| RW | 70 | 16 | 19 | 35 | 85 | -38 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| LW | 77 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 41 | -31 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| C | 68 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 62 | -9 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| RW | 26 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 36 | -7 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| RW | 34 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 42 | -14 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| C | 67 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 132 | -9 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| LW | 72 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 29 | -4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| D | 37 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 22 | -18 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| RW | 35 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 89 | -8 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| D | 78 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 110 | -8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| D | 37 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 26 | -25 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 35 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 22 | -11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 74 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 77 | -24 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| C | 44 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 19 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 45 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 85 | -5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 60 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 41 | -23 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | -9 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| RW | 28 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| D | 22 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 43 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LW | 30 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 16 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| D | 29 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 17 | -21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LW | 19 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| RW | 14 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 71 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 24 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 15 | -9 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 22 | -4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| LW | 54 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 166 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 22 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | -6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 44 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 122 | -4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LW | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 58 | -9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| RW | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| RW | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| RW | 42 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 116 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G | 34 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 27 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | -10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LW | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
;Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SO | SA | SV | SV% |
| 1938 | 34 | 7 | 24 | 1 | 102 | 3.16 | 1 | 975 | 873 | .895 |
| 1456 | 26 | 5 | 14 | 6 | 66 | 2.72 | 0 | 660 | 594 | .900 |
| 821 | 16 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 40 | 2.92 | 1 | 370 | 330 | .892 |
| 311 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 3.28 | 0 | 148 | 131 | .885 |
| 433 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 30 | 4.16 | 0 | 210 | 180 | .857 |
| Team: | 4959 | 82 | 17 | 55 | 10 | 255 | 3.09 | 2 | 2363 | 2108 | .892 |
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goalsAwards and records
Transactions
Roster
Draft picks
Tampa Bay's draft picks at the 1997 NHL Entry Draft held at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club Team |
| 1 | 7 | Paul Mara | | Sudbury Wolves |
| 2 | 33 | Kyle Kos | | Red Deer Rebels |
| 3 | 61 | Matt Elich | | Windsor Spitfires |
| 5 | 108 | Mark Thompson | | Regina Pats |
| 5 | 109 | Jan Sulc | | HC Chemopetrol Jr. |
| 5 | 112 | Karel Betik | | Kelowna Rockets |
| 6 | 153 | Andrei Skopintsev | | TPS |
| 7 | 168 | Justin Jack | | Kelowna Rockets |
| 7 | 170 | Eero Somervuori | | Jokerit |
| 7 | 185 | Samuel St. Pierre | | Victoriaville Tigres |
| 8 | 198 | Shawn Skolney | | Seattle Thunderbirds |
| 9 | 224 | Paul Comrie | | University of Denver |
