Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand waited for three hours — until two players cleared waivers for the Lightning — before they could be informed they were heading to Tampa Bay as the main pieces of a three-team trade that also included the Red Wings.

TAMPA -- Yanni Gourde returned to Amalie Arena as if he never departed the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is back in his corner stall of the locker room and will wear the same No. 37 jersey tonight against the Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; ESPN) that he wore for his first six seasons in the NHL.

Lightning forward Yanni Gourde rejoins Tampa Bay after they lost him to Seattle in the expansion draft four years ago. Now, the two-time Stanley Cup champ can't wait to skate where his career started.