Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
A number of charities, including some devoted to fighting cancer, will receive a share of a $200,000 donation that was handed out when the Bruins faced off against the Lightning in their Stadium Series showdown. However, that number could have been even higher if the NHL had done the right thing instead of rolling out a gross gimmick in between period.
Raymond James Stadium is primarily the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but on Sunday, it served as the venue for the NHL’s latest Stadium Series game when the Lightning hosted the Bruins.
The league had to be pretty happy with how things panned out, as fans were treated to an electric contest that featured a goalie fight and a massive comeback that saw Tampa Bay crawl out of a four-goal deficit and rally to earn the 6-5 win in the shootout.
However, it was also responsible for a pretty major misstep that transpired in between the second and third period, and it rightfully received plenty of criticism for its questionable approach to a charitable donation that was handed out.
The NHL missed the mark by offering to donate $1 million if a cancer survivor was able to make an unlikely shot from the blue line
The Lightning are a very charitable franchise, as the team has donated close to $35 million to admirable causes over the past 15 years with the help of the “Community Hero” program, which hands out $50,000 every single home game.
On Sunday, that number was upped to $100,000 when Rob Higgins, a colon cancer survivor who serves as the CEO of Athletics at USF, was honored with a check after the second period.
He earmarked the funds for charitie including the Moffitt Cancer Center and Coop’s Catch for Kids (the pediatric cancer research initiative founded by Lightning coach Jon Cooper), and things took an interesting turn when P.K. Subban strolled out onto the ice and announced Higgins had the chance to give the former an even bigger windfall.
The catch? Higgins had to make a shot from the blue line into a puck-sized hole in the net, which is a fairly common sight at hockey games where fans get the chance to walk away with some money or a prize they get to take home for themselves.
Higgins missed the first shot, but we were treated to yet another twist when Baker Mayfield emerged and said he’d be getting a second chance while raising the money up for grabs to $1 million. The second attempt also sailed wide of the cage, but Higgins and his charities got a consolation prize when the Buccaneers QB announced the total was being bumped to $200,000.
What a moment as cancer survivor Rob Higgins is presented with a $200,000 donation courtesy of the Lightning Foundation and the NHL! 👏 #StadiumSeries
🇺🇸: @espn ➡️ https://t.co/m0LyTCHYnH
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet & @TVASports ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/I5kutjH4Ql— NHL (@NHL) February 2, 2026
That’s certainly not a tiny sum, but plenty of people who watched what went down hopped into the comments on social media to take aim at the NHL, an organization that estimates it will generate $6.8 billion in revenue this season, for gamifying the donation and ultimately cheaping out while still trying to spin it as a feel-good moment.
Do better.