Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena

The Tampa Bay Lightning have competed in the Southeast Division of the National Hockey League since 1992, and have been in the same city ever since. Although not as old as some teams in the league, this has not stopped the Tampa Bay Lightning from progressing year in and year out. This holds true with both on the ice performance as well as fan support.

The Lightning play their home games at the Amalie Arena. This venue opened in 1996, and the Lightning have been enjoying this arena since then. With modern features both inside and out, fans really love what the Tampa Bay Times Forum has to offer. This would explain why the Lightning games are sold out time and time again.

Quite a few great players have competed for the Lightning. They include Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis, Brian Bradley, and many more.

One of the great things about the Tampa Bay Lightning organization is the large fan base. When the team was formed in 1992 people from all over the country embraced the Lightning. And it is safe to say that this interest has only increased over the years.

The Amalie Arena (formerly Tampa Bay Times Forum) is located in Tampa, Florida, and is used for a number of different events on a regular basis. Since opening in 1996 this venue has become well known for its top of the line features and amenities, as well as the great atmosphere that it provides to the fans. It is safe to say that the Amalie Arena is only going to continue to grow in the years to come.

There are two primary tenants of the Amalie Arena. They include the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL, and the Tampa Bay Storm of the AFL. Both of these teams began to play their home games at the Amalie Arena in the year that it opened.

The capacity of this venue is one reason that it has become so popular. For basketball games the Amalie Arena has a capacity of 20,500. For hockey the capacity is 19,758, and for concerts 21,500. While this may not be quite as large as some others, it is among the tops in the country for venues of this size.

The building has played host of many events over the years including several WWF events, the 1999 NHL All Star Game, and the opening two rounds of the 2003 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. For future years, the Amalie Arena hosted the 2008 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four, and the 2012 NCAA Hockey Frozen Four. And this does not even touch on the hundreds of musical performers who have played at the Amalie Arena.

With so much to offer in way of benefits and fan experience, it is easy to see why the Amalie Arena has become one of the nicest and most popular venues in the country.