The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) based in Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Bay Lightning compete in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference along with Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, and Ottawa Senators. The Tampa Bay Lightning have a rivalry with Florida Panthers, and they compete with each other for the Governor’s Cup every year. Interestingly, they’ve never played each other in the playoffs.
The Tampa Bay Lightning play their home matches at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, originally called the Ice Palace, which was specifically built for them and they’ve called home since it opened in 1996. The arena has had a number of name changes over the years including St. Pete Times Forum, and Tampa Bay Times Forum, before changing to its current name. During their inaugural season in 1992 they played at the Florida State Fairgrounds’ tiny Expo Hall, from which they moved to the Florida Suncoast Dome (currently known as the Tropicana Field) which was primarily used for baseball. The arena was adapated to host ice hockey matches and was given the name the ThunderDome.
The Amalie Arena has a capacity of 19,092 for its ice hockey matches, and used to be the home to LFL’s Tampa Breeze, and AFL’s Tampa Bay Storm. The arena has hosted many ice hockey events including four games in the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals, and the Frozen Four of the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament in 2012 and 2016. There have also been basketball, gymnastics, and UFC matches held at the arena. You can also watch concerts at the arena with performances from the likes of Disturbed, The Who, and Phil Collins.
Tampa Bay is a growing foodie scene but it does have some local treasures that must be eaten when visiting. Tampa is the birthplace of one of the best sandwiches ever made – The Cuban. The best are at the Columbia restaurants, Floridian Cuban Sandwiches or Brocato’s Sandwich Shop. The Stone Crab is a must at Frenchy’s Cafe. Another must have is the Grouper Sandwich at Dockside Dave’s Grill.