Being one of multiple NHL teams that call Florida home it is important to note the location of the Lightning, being in Tampa Bay, Florida as the name states. Their arena is the Amalie Arena which has gone under many different names in the previous years.
Table of Contents
Arena Guide by Ice Hockey Tripper
History
This arena was built between 1994-1996. This timeline also follows the average time of construction when compared to the other arenas in the league. It officially opened on October 20, 1996 under the name of the Ice Palace, fitting for an ice hockey arena. However the first event in this so-called Ice Palace was actually a circus, not a hockey game. However when an ice hockey game was first hosted there, the home team (Tampa Bay Lightning) beat the New York Rangers by a score of five to two.
It is important to understand that this arena was built out of need rather than just getting tired of another arena. There was simply not an arena of the proper size to host the Lightning in the Tampa Bay area. Prior to the construction of this arena, the Lightning tested out two other venues in the area including the now home of the Tampa Bay Rays. Now the arena was created for the Lightning specifically, but it is currently a host to other NCAA basketball events and actually a temporary home for the Toronto Raptors of the NBA. This is due to the COVID-19 Pandemic which changed the world as we know it and resulted in strict Canada travel sanctions. This did not allow for the Raptors to host games in their home arena reasonably and led to them playing in this arena instead. It is safe to say that this arena has certainly been a part of some unique history.