Video taking off 11x its usual first day

Kucherov and Stamkos can't quite hide their center-ice smiles

The NHL's reunion clip catches the former Tampa Bay teammates sharing a small moment before the opening faceoff.

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NHL Story of November 1, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 271,056 views a day, 11 times a normal first day on this channel (24,546).

Kucherov and Stamkos, Just Like Old Times ⚡

Nikita Kucherov skates toward the faceoff and finds a familiar face waiting opposite him: Steven Stamkos, wearing Nashville colors. They settle into position, but not before a couple of smiles give them away.

The broadcast notices immediately. "Look at the little smile, you never see Kucherov smile," a commentator says. It is a fleeting exchange, with no audible conversation between the players, and that is the whole attraction: a reunion squeezed into the seconds before play begins.

Kucherov and Stamkos won back-to-back Stanley Cups with Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021. Seeing them line up on different sides gives the NHL's "just like old times" framing a gentle twist. The familiarity survives; the matching jerseys do not.

The Short drew nearly 150,000 views in nine hours, running well ahead of the league channel's usual start for the format. One viewer playfully supplies an imaginary conversation about a vacancy on Stamkos' team.

Other NHL clips also drew unusually brisk viewing, including Nikita Zadorov's hit on Connor Bedard and a very different kind of bench action: goalie Michael DiPietro jumping in celebration after Morgan Geekie's late equalizer for Boston. But Kucherov and Stamkos need little more than a hint of a grin.

Published on Trari

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What viewers say

"Hey, you guys got any vacancies for a right winger, Stammie?"
@jimb.7523See it on YouTube
The second I saw this video stamkos scored right in front of my eyes😊
@SamKrespine-o7ySee it on YouTube

Public comments from the video's page on YouTube