“It was a shortened season,” said Lombardi, who tallied 40 points (19 goals, 21 assists) last season. “It was positive and trending upwards from my first year, when I was playing more of a limited role. Last year, I stepped into a big role…especially coming back from that injury.”
Just like his Prospect Games teammates, Lombardi has NHL aspirations. Selected by Detroit in the fourth round (No. 113 overall) of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Lombardi explained how chasing that childhood dream also requires a lot of self-awareness.
“It’s every kids’ dream to play in the NHL,” Lombardi said. “But it’s also important to stay focused and in the present, don’t worry about the past or the future. Stay in the now. There’s a plan above, so just follow that plan. Trust yourself, and hopefully good things will happen.”
Maintaining that one-day-at-a-time approach will one day, Lombardi strongly believes, pay dividends.
“Last year, I figured out the offensive side of things,” Lombardi said. “I felt more confident…Now, it’s about reeling it back in, playing responsible, earning the coaches’ trust and being put in all situations. Growing that other side of my game. I think I can help the team with that.”