The last 24 hours have been a whirlwind for Yanni Gourde.
It began with the unforgettable phone call from GM Julien BriseBois at noon Wednesday, eight hours before the Seattle Kraken expansion draft.
“You got picked,” BriseBois told the veteran forward.
Gourde, 29, said there were a ton of emotions that hit him all at once. There was excitement for a new challenge with an expansion team, stress over his family’s ensuing cross-country move. There was also disappointment in leaving the Lightning, his teammates, who were bonded for life after winning back-to-back Stanley Cups. This was the organization that had given him a chance as an undrafted free agent in 2014. They believed in him, developed him, allowed him to flourish.
