TAMPA — While Lightning players were hoping to see the return of captain Steven Stamkos in the next couple of weeks, they certainly won’t have to wait as long to see another familiar face on the ice.

Only in this instance, friend will be foe. At least when the puck is dropped.

On Thursday, former Lightning forward Brian Boyle will be back at the Amalie Arena, only this time in a Maple Leafs jersey. Boyle was traded by the Lightning to the Leafs two weeks ago.

“It’s going to be fun,” Lightning defenceman Anton Stralman said. “He’s for sure a high character guy that everybody wants to have in the room and on the ice.

“It’s always tough to lose a guy like that. I’ve played with him the last six years. It’s tough but nothing lasts forever in this league. And it’s going to be fun to see him again.”

Defenceman Victor Hedman said it will be a weird feeling to see Boyle wearing a Maple Leafs jersey.

“It’s going to be strange,” Hedman said. “But at the same time it’s a game. We’re the best of friends off the ice but it’s going to be different.

“We had a lot of routines together, warmups and stuff like that.

“He’s a very good friend and it’s going to be different but you’ve got to put that aside come game time.”

STAMMER WATCH

After undergoing knee surgery in mid-November, Stamkos has reached the four-to-six month recovery period. And while coach Jon Cooper warned nothing is imminent, he acknowledged the fact that Stamkos is skating on his own and traveling with the team is a good sign

“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” Cooper told the Tampa Bay Times. “That in itself has helped us, having him around, it’s really good for our guys.”

Cooper offered no timetable for a potential return — at least not for the regular season anyway.

“He’s on his way back,” Cooper told the Times. “The one way I guess to make sure he may play is to get into the playoffs. That’s what we’re trying to do here. He’s a part of our franchise, he’s the core of our franchise.

“Until doctors and Steven Stamkos say I’m ready to go, he’s not going on the ice. But I know that Steven Stamkos is working his tail off to get back as fast as he can.

“He’s not going to be the one that says, ‘I’m not going on.’ It’s going to be the doctor to tell him he’s not going on. That’s the great thing about Stamkos.”

THE FIVE HUNDRED CLUB

Still just a teenager, uber-skilled Leafs forward Mitch Marner admits as a kid watching Tyler Bozak play for the Leafs.

What a way to make a teammate feel old.

And while he isn’t ready for the rocking chair quite yet, the fact that Bozak will celebrate his 500th NHL game Thursday night — each and every one in a Maple Leafs jersey — shows he’s become one of the elder statesmen of the team. He’s a dad now, too, yet another sign of maturity.

“It’s a special milestone,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure to play for the Leafs this long.

“I’ve had so many fond memories. And hopefully there’s still a number of them to come, too.”