Aileen Hnatiuk has social media in mourning.
Hnatiuk, who has covered the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, also deals with coverage for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The 2024-25 Lightning season ended after a 6-3 to the Florida Panthers in game 5 at Amalie Arena on Wednesday night. The elimination marks the third consecutive first-round exit for Tampa Bay after going to three straight Stanley Cup Finals.
Worse than that news was the fact that Hnatiuk was done covering the team for the year.
She would take to social media to announce that the season was officially over, which would be her final broadcast for the hockey team until the 2025-2026 season begins.
“another season covering the hometown team in the books — never gets old,” Aileen Hnatiuk wrote on Instagram.
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Here is how social media reacted:
“I’m sick,” one fan said as she signed off.
Im sick
— Official Ohio State DG (@DylanEveryday) May 1, 2025
“They better keep you around,” a second fan demanded.
They better keep you around
— 3rmAL (@EOAIM10) May 1, 2025
“Good luck with the NFL season!!” a third fan added.
Good luck with the NFL season!!
— Mellozzi (@mellozzi) May 1, 2025
“Would have been nice to see the Bolts advance. If you need another team that hates the Panthers… come cheer for the Oilers; we’d love to have you,” one fan offered to Aileen Hnatiuk.
Would have been nice to see the Bolts advance.
— Greg, but Playoffs (@Gregair13) May 1, 2025
If you need another team that hates the panthers… come cheer for the oilers; we’d love to have you.
“Worst part is less Aileen,” one final fan wrote.
Worst part is less Aileen.
— BucHead 🔥 (@rayswin100) May 1, 2025
Aileen Hnatiuk Is Not Going Far
Aileen Hnatiuk has moved around quite a bit.
After graduating in 2018, Aileen accepted a sports reporter position at NBC29 WVIR-TV in Charlottesville, Virginia. During her time in Greenville, N.C., she was a member of ECU Women’s Volleyball and Chi Omega Rho Zeta.
Hnatiuk took the internet by storm in early 2023 when her season-sign-off outside the New Orleans Saints facility went viral. She was rather unknown before that picture, which eventually led to her getting thousands of followers.
She would soon accept a job in her native Florida, reporting on all things Tampa sports.
The NFL season is around the corner, so Aileen will be on the field covering the Bucs in 2025.
