Tampa Bay Lightning Reassign Defenseman Steven Santini to Syracuse Crunch
AHL Syracuse Crunch

Tampa Bay Lightning Reassign Defenseman Steven Santini to Syracuse Crunch

Published on December 7, 2025 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned defenseman Steven Santini to the Syracuse Crunch, Vice President and General Manager Julien BriseBois announced today. Additionally, the Crunch have loaned defenseman Chris Harpur to the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL.

Santini, 30, has played in 13 games as captain of Syracuse this season, logging four assists and a plus-7 rating with four penalty minutes. He has skated in 374 career AHL games between the Crunch, Ontario Reign, Springfield Thunderbirds, Utica Comets, Milwaukee Admirals, Binghamton Devils and Albany Devils, recording 21 goals and 91 points with a plus-63 rating.

A native of Bronxville, New York, Santini has appeared in seven games with Tampa Bay this season, registering one assist, five hits and five blocked shots while averaging 12:01 of time on ice. The 6-foot-3, 217-pound defenseman has skated in 131 career NHL games between the Lightning, New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues, collecting five goals and 24 points while averaging 16:53 of time on ice.

Santini was originally drafted by New Jersey in the second round, 42nd overall, of the 2013 NHL Draft and was signed by Tampa Bay as a free agent on July 1, 2024.

Harpur, 29, has skated in six games with the Crunch this season tallying two assists. He has appeared in nine games with the Solar Bears this season recording three assists. Harpur skated in 13 games with the Crunch last season posting three assists. He also appeared in 44 games with Orlando recording two goals, nine assists and a plus-7 rating. Since 2021, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound blueliner has played in 36 career AHL games, all with the Crunch, totaling nine assists and 163 career ECHL games, all with the Solar Bears, earning seven goals and 29 assists.

Prior to his professional career, Harpur played in 161 games with Niagara University from 2017 to 2022 posting 10 goals and 48 assists.

Single game tickets and ticket packages for the 2025-26 season are on sale now and can be purchased in person at the Crunch office located inside the Upstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial at 800 S. State St. in Syracuse, by calling the office at 315-473-4444 or online through Ticketmaster. For the latest Crunch news, visit www.syracusecrunch.com or follow the club on Facebook (www.facebook.com/syracusecrunch), X (@SyracuseCrunch) and Instagram (@syracusecrunch).

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