Mikey Eyssimont is finally getting settled after a season that saw some massive moves. In 2022-23, Eyssimont played for the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League, then the Winnipeg Jets, the San Jose Sharks and the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL. So that’s two countries and both coasts in America.
The good news for Eyssimont is that the former St. Cloud State player seems to have found a place in the NHL. He ended the season playing 15 regular season games and three playoff games with the Lightning. On Sunday, Eyssimont signed a two-year, one-way contract with the Lightning worth $800,000 per year.
In all his stops, he ended up playing a career-best 54 regular season games in the NHL after spending nearly all of his first five pro seasons playing in the AHL.
Eyssimont discusses his travels, his career and if he still follows the St. Cloud State men’s hockey team. Eyssimont, 26, played for the Huskies from 2015-18 and discusses all this and more on the Huskies Hockey Insider podcast with The Rink Live’s Mick Hatten.
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0:00 Intro
0:50 Starting the season in the AHL with the Moose, getting called up to the Jets
1:50 His first NHL goal
2:50 Getting waived by Winnipeg in January
4:00 How he found out about getting called up to the Jets
5:20 His first NHL game of the season, meeting up with former SCSU teammate Will Borgen
6:45 What happens when you’re on waivers, the flight differences when he got picked up by San Jose, living out of his “capsule wardrobe”
9:45 The excitement of going to San Jose, wearing one of his favorite jerseys, knowing one Shark beforehand, the opportunities the Sharks gave him, being a “hockey nerd”
12:45 Finding out how he got traded from San Jose to Tampa Bay, leaving groceries at the store, knowing he’d have a different role with the Lightning
16:35 Getting to know former SCSU defenseman Nick Perbix
18:00 What it’s like playing with Jon Cooper, the focus on winning now
20:00 What it’s like in Tampa Bay’s locker room, playing for the Lightning, getting comfortable, advice for younger players
21:30 His last season of junior hockey, he was traded by Fargo to Sioux Falls and winning the Clark Cup in the USHL
22:45 The hit to his chin in his first NHL playoff game against Toronto, scoring his first NHL playoff goal
25:00 What it is like playing in the NHL playoffs
25:45 Signing a two-year, one-way contract with Tampa Bay on Sunday
26:45 What he’s taken out of his first season in the NHL
27:30 Does he prefer Mikey or Michael?
28:15 What it’s like having an NHL deal for the first time
29:15 Getting SCSU updates from Perbix
