TRENTON — Ross Colton had his mind made up that he was throwing from the mound for his ceremonial first pitch.
Not only did the Tampa Bay Lightning forward and Robbinsville native make the toss from 60-feet, 6-inches, he fired it right down the middle for a strike.
“I grew up playing baseball and I used to come to Thunder games all the time, too, so it’s pretty special to be out there and see my family up in the crowd,” said Colton, who wore a customized No. 79 Thunder jersey the team presented to him. “I was teasing with my family that I was going to throw it from the mound and they all thought I was going to bounce it. I had a catch before I came. Not going to lie, I had to get my throw down and said I had to get my throw down.”
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ross Colton, a Robbinsville native, right down the middle pic.twitter.com/Kt6ZatW2X0
— Kyle Franko (@kj_franko) August 18, 2022
The Stanley Cup winner was at Trenton Thunder Ballpark to take part in the team’s annual Hockey Night on Thursday where he signed autographs and posed for pictures.
“To be able to grow the game any way I can because when I was younger there wasn’t a ton of hockey,” Colton said. “I remember going to the Trenton Titans games and that’s kind of how I got into it. Just for the young kids around who still want to play there are guys from around here and you just got to stick with the process and keep playing.”
The 25-year-old Colton was the Lightning’s fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft and made his NHL debut during the 2020-21 season. He finished his rookie campaign with a highlight that will last a lifetime when he scored the lone goal in Tampa’s Cup-clinching victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
Colton had 22 goals and 17 assists in 79 games this season and then appeared in all 23 of the Lightning’s postseason games as they fell to the Colorado Avalanche in six games in the Stanley Cup Final.
“It’s a great organization and such a great city with the fans,” Colton said. “Living in Florida, with the weather, when you’re not at the rink you’re playing golf or laying by the pool so there could be worse places to play. My first couple years have been so amazing to be a part of the Cup and be in the finals this year was so exciting for me.”
Growing up in Robbinsville, Colton was a huge Devils fan. He remembers everything about the team’s run to the 2012 Cup Final that ultimately ended in a Game 6 defeat to the Los Angeles Kings.
“Not anymore, though. Can’t be a fan,” Colton laughed. “It’s always special when we play there. When we played there this year I had a bunch of family and friends come. That’s the one date on the calendar that I always circle because it means a lot.”
Colton even provided a scouting report on new signing Ondrej Palat, his former Tampa teammate who the Devils inked to a five-year, $30 million deal.
“He’s one of those guys who can do everything in every situation,” Colton said. “In the playoffs, if we needed a big hit, a big goal, somebody to kill a penalty or be out there at the end of the game that’s him. He’s someone who is going to show up every night and give 100%.”
Would Colton ever consider pulling on the Devils sweater?
“I love being in Tampa right now and it’s one of the cooler places to play,” Colton said. “I just grew up a Devils fans. I loved the Devils. During the 2012 Cup run, me and my brother went to like every home game. We were such diehard fans. I understand that it’s a business, but down the road if I could throw on the sweater one day that would be awesome.”
