TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING EXPERIENCE: Founded: 1992 Location: Tampa, Florida Stadium: St. Pete Times Forum Conference: Eastern Conference Division: Southeast Division Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup Titles: 1: 2003-04 Tampa Bay Lightning Conference Championships: 1 Notable Players: Roman Hamrlik, Vincent Lecavalier, Nikita Alexeev, & Alexander Svitov
The Tampa Bay Lightning is one of the key teams to watch in the Eastern Conference this season. The same young players who won the Stanley Cup in 2004 are now more experienced and have a great chance to clinch their division and head back to the Finals. With the scoring combination of Lecavalier, St. Louis, and Prospal, the Tampa Bay Lightning is in a position to give the rest of the league a lot of trouble this year. Attend a game at the “Ice Palace” and you’ll be able feel the expectations as the team takes the ice. Tampa Bay Lightning plays hockey in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Tampa Bay Lightning first began playing hockey in 1992 as part of that year’s NHL expansion. He team began with some success for an expansion franchise, but it would be short-lived, and by the end of the 1990’s the team was at the bottom of the league. A rebuild and the acquisition of young talent worked beyond Lightning fans’ wildest dreams. The team made the conference semis in 2003 and then roared to the Stanley Cup and won in 2004. After the lockout of 2004/2005, the Tampa Bay Lightning would struggle to make the playoffs, but with some off-season tweaks, hopes are high again for success. The Tampa Bay Lightning play their home games at the St. Pete Times Forum (formerly nicknamed the Ice Palace). The arena holds 19,500 spectators for hockey games. Entering the glittery glass building, you’ll see a large mural celebrating the 2004 Stanley Cup win. Buy Tampa Bay Lightning tickets and see if the team can repeat history this season!
See Also: Tampa Bay Lightning Playoff tickets |