TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning won their hurricane-delayed home opener over the Vancouver Canucks but the impact of two recent major hurricanes overshadowed it.
Debris, malfunctioning stop lights and power outages remain around the Tampa Bay area a week after Hurricane Milton devastated parts of Florida. Milton came on the heels of Hurricane Helene, which also hit the region hard.
“This is different,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “We’ve kind of been in this position before a few years ago but not quite like this. There’s disarray everywhere. There’s many people still in hotels, including myself. It’s been really tough to see how people are negatively affected.”
But there are signs of encouragement.
There was a standing ovation late in the second period and it wasn’t for any of the Tampa Bay players. It was for a group of power company workers from Vancouver who are assisting in recovery efforts.
“How about the ovation that the Vancouver linemen got when they showed them on the big screen?” Cooper asked. “I’m normally not looking up there a ton but that was a pretty moving moment for me. And it just shows you there’s a lot of good out there. When people come out and help each other it does make you feel good."
A food drive and other activities took place outside Amalie Arena before the Lightning’s 4-1 win Tuesday night over the Canucks.
Discount tickets were available and there was a pregame video on the scoreboard regarding the storms and the role of first responders.
The Lightning Foundation pledged an additional $1 million toward relief to its $2 million original commitment and recovery efforts.
“With everything going on, it’s kind of nice to have everyone come in here and let a little stress go,” Lightning forward Nick Paul said.
Tampa Bay’s scheduled home opener last Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes was postponed. The Lightning spent most of last week in Raleigh, North Carolina, before beating the Hurricanes 4-1 on Friday night.
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Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman carries a "Tampa Strong" flag in honor of the victims of Hurricane Milton before an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman carries a "Tampa Strong" flag in honor of the victims of Hurricane Milton before an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Hanukkah — also spelled Chanukah or other transliterations from Hebrew — is Judaism’s “festival of lights.” On eight consecutive nightfalls, Jews gather with family and friends to light one additional candle in the menorah — a multibranched candelabra.
In Hebrew, Hanukkah means “dedication,” and the holiday marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC, after a small group of Jewish fighters liberated it from occupying foreign forces.
With the tiny supply of ritually pure oil that they found in the temple, they lit the menorah — and it stayed lit for eight days. The ritual of lighting a nightly candle, as well as the emphasis on cooking foods in oil such as potato pancakes called latkes, memorialize this miraculously long-lasting oil.
The dates of the holiday are based on Hebrew month of Kislev, which usually coincides with November-December in the Gregorian calendar.
This year, Hanukkah will be celebrated from Dec. 25, 2024, through Jan. 2, 2025.
Jews across the religious observance spectrum — from Reform to Conservative to Orthodox — focus on the same theme of bringing light into the darkness and emphasizing that even a small, against-the-odds effort can have a transforming effect.
For this reason, even though the Talmud reflects a dispute over the order of lighting, most start with one candle and increase the lighting by one more candle each night while reciting or chanting special blessings.
The candles are added from right to left, but lit from left to right on the menorah, thus always starting with the newest light. The special menorah used for Hanukkah has eight branches, with a ninth place for the candle called shamash from which all others are lit.
The tradition calls for candles with a real flame, though some also use electric ones in public displays, such as in hospitals, for safety reasons.
A menorah is lit in each household and traditionally is placed where it can be seen from the outside, such as a doorway or windowsill, to symbolize the spreading of God’s light to all nations.
The lighting of menorahs in city streets and parks has become more prominent in recent years in countries around the world, including in front of public landmarks.
In addition to menorah lightings, giving to charity and social works are also part of the celebration for many, reflecting the belief that the Jewish people are called by God to help make the world better for all.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Rabbi Peter Tarlow lights a candle on a menorah during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)
