General | 10/24/2025 11:09:52 AM

Four years after last wearing a Lincoln Stars jersey, Dominic James made his NHL debut with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Plymouth, Mich. native had 14 goals, 34 assists, and 119 penalty minutes with the Stars from 2018-2021. He played four seasons at the University of Minnesota Duluth, serving as alternate captain for his final two years before starting his professional career with the Syracuse Crunch in the American Hockey League (AHL) earlier this season.

The Chicago Blackhawks selected James in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. The 2017 USHL Combine attendee signed with Tampa Bay in September.

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading 16–to 20-year-old junior hockey league. During the 2024-25 season, USHL alumni held over 50% of NCAA Division I roster spots, and over 25% of NHL players had USHL experience. With 10 first-round selections and 49 total picks in the 2024 NHL Draft, the USHL has developed the most draft choices of any junior hockey league since 2012.

Elevated through the recently announced Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, the league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 92% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel), Matthew Knies (Tri-City Storm), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede).