The number 74 is about to get a new look in Tampa Bay.
Beginning this fall, John Carlson will wear it for the Lightning, keeping the number he has used for his entire career so far. That means a jersey number with a short but varied history in Tampa Bay is getting another chapter.
The first Bolt to skate in 74 was Brantt Myhres, an enforcer who played 62 games across two seasons for the Lightning. He chipped in six points and piled up 217 penalty minutes before making his final NHL appearance with the Boston Bruins in the 2002-03 season. Myhres later wrapped up his playing career after spending the 2006-07 season in Europe.
Nick Tarnasky followed nearly a decade later as the second Lightning player to wear 74. Tampa Bay took him in the ninth round of the 2003 draft, and he went on to play 169 games for the club. Tarnasky scored 11 goals, finished with 20 points, and added 162 penalty minutes before retiring from professional hockey after the 2016-17 season.
Sean Day was the most recent Lightning player to wear the number before Carlson takes the ice. A highly regarded prospect before his draft year, Day never fully matched the expectations around him.
He appeared in just two NHL games, both with Tampa Bay, and did not record an NHL point. He spent the 2025-26 season with the Bridgeport Islanders in the AHL.
Currently, Palat is a member of the New York Islanders organization.
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