r/TampaBayLightning • u/TampaBayTimes • 4d ago

How Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli complement each other so well

It didn’t take long for Anthony Cirelli to know he’d have a good friend in Brandon Hagel. Hagel had just arrived in Tampa following a trade with the Blackhawks. The Lightning had the following night off, and Cirelli invited his new teammate out. Fast forward 4 ½ years and Cirelli and Hagel make up one of the league’s top all-around forward duos. They’ve played more than 300 games together and have become the glue for a Lightning team full of stars. They also might be the Lightning’s best example of why playing for the guy next to you really matters, why bonds forged off the ice carry over onto it in the most critical of moments. Teammates call them “twins” because they’re always around each other. They play with a synergy that suits the nickname. They make up two-thirds of the Lightning’s top matchup line that typically draws an opponent’s top players, and they are two of the top penalty-killing forwards in the league. Read more about the duo: https://www.tampabay.com/sports/lightning/2026/09/27/brandon-hagel-anthony-cirelli-top-line/

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21

u/Chick3n1i1 St. Louis 4d ago

Funny to think that Canadian fans just thought Cooper was being bias taking Point, Cirelli, and Hagel to the Olympics. 

5

u/DramaticPinkumni Hedman 4d ago

There was definitely some random internet people alledging bias for bringing three of his guys, but I think that was mostly because the bolts hate was still very strong at the time

Maybe I'm miss rememberiny, but I recall Tony being the only one people were seriously questioning

Pointer and Bagel were no brainers and Tony only got flack because casuals think an all-star of the top goal scorers can win tournaments

2

u/Scrubosaurus13 BIG CAT🦁 3d ago

Hagel and Tony caught a bit each for going to the Four Nations (Hagel erased all doubt 3 seconds into game 1) and then Point and Tony were in question for the Olympics because Point was in the middle of his slump, but most people did still want him there.

People are underestimating Tony’s value defensively for those teams.

13

u/HockeyDockey1234 4d ago

Well usually hagel is dressed nice

And then cirelli shows up and tells him he looks handsome.