Tampa Bay Lightning layoffs include media specialist

Lightning owner OK Hockey on Wednesday completed a third day of layoffs. The company said about 25 employees total lost their jobs in the "restructuring." Seven others were fired in an earlier round of layoffs that included marketing head Mark Gullett.

Most prominent Wednesday was longtime media relations specialist Jay Preble.

"I've enjoyed my 13 years with the Lightning and have had the opportunity to work with a lot of great people," he said in a text message. "Now I'm looking forward to my next adventure after I spend some quality time at the soccer fields with my wife and two daughters."

Also let go this week were David Cole, director of fan development, and Matt Hitchcock, who played ThunderBug. The mascot will live on, though likely without a full-time actor.

FEASTER EYES AVALANCHE: Former Lightning general manager Jay Feaster said he is interested in the Colorado GM job that opened Monday when Francois Giguere was fired.

Feaster, 46, is a longtime friend of Avalanche president Pierre Lacroix, who was Colorado's general manager in the mid 1990s, when Feaster was president of the Hershey Bears, the Avalanche's AHL affiliate at the time.

"I have known Pierre Lacroix for a long time … and certainly let him know of my interest in managing again in the National Hockey League and that I would truly enjoy working with him," Feaster said.

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@sptimes.com.