Needless to say, the extension in Tampa Bay carries weight with the Mac Truck, but it might mean even more to his family.
Back in 2024, when it was announced that McDonagh would return to Tampa Bay after his brief stint in Nashville, ThunderBug surprised his kids Falan, Murphy and Nola with a surprise welcome back video. Now, two seasons in and a couple years older, continuing to call Tampa Bay home is all the more important.
“My job is to be the best hockey player I can and help teams win hockey games. But I’ve also got a family now and I’m a husband and a father. Those are the most important relationships in my life,” McDonagh added.
“To be here now and be able to say that I can raise them in a place like Tampa Bay makes coming to the rink even easier, because you can be that husband, be that father that you envision all while playing a game that you truly love.”
And while ThunderBug cameos may not be applicable to midseason extensions, don’t worry, the kids are psyched, too.
“They’re thrilled,” McDonagh said. “They’re still young, my kids, they were happy when I told them the news. They love living here in Tampa Bay as much as we do and going to school here and playing sports…it’s awesome for them.”
McDonagh is now solidified in an increasingly exciting time for Lightning hockey. The Bolts have won 15 of their last 19 games entering Thursday night’s matchup with the Penguins. And Tampa Bay’s roster continues to be as talented as they come, with McDonagh factoring in as a major part of that on the defensive end.
“That’s all you can ask for, is to be able to keep competing, keep going after the ultimate goal of more Cups,” McDonagh said. “That’s what drives you as a player…I’m just thrilled to be a part of this group and keep moving forward.”