The Tampa Bay Lightning are the professional National Hockey League team based in
Tampa, Florida. The Lightning play board banging slap shot hockey in the St Pete
Times Forum ice arena located in Tampa, Florida.
Tampa was finally awarded an NHL franchise in 1991. The team's management didn't
waste any time in hiring mega star power. The new franchise hired 1970s Boston Bruins
star Phil Esposito as president and general manager and his brother Tony, a legendary
goaltender who'd played mainly for the Chicago Blackhawks, as chief scout. The super
star front office and coaching staff was just what Tampa Bay needed to get Florida
residents excited about ice hockey. It was said that a St. Petersburg group was
better-financed and only lost out because two Hall of Famers, the Esposito brothers,
were the "faces" of the Tampa based group. Phil Esposito did all he could to jump
start his new team. He hired former linemate Wayne Cashman as an assistant coach
and former Bruin trainer John "Frosty" Forristal as the team's trainer. The Tampa
Bay team turned heads and kept its name in the news when they started Manon Rheaume,
the first woman to play in an NHL, in an exhibition game against the St. Louis Blues.
The Tampa Bay Lightning first took the ice on October 7, 1992, playing in Tampa's
petite 11,000-seat Expo Hall. They shocked the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 7-3 with
four goals by little-known Chris Kontos. The Lightning shot to the top of their
division within a month, before faltering at the end of the year to finish in last
place. The Lightning scored 53 points in the inaugural 1992-93 season which was
one of the best showings ever by an NHL expansion team. The teams' quick shooters
gave Tampa Bay fans optimism for the next season.
The following season, the Lightning moved to the Florida Suncoast Dome in St. Petersburg,
which was reconfigured for hockey and renamed the Thunderdome. The Thunderdome provided
a ton of seats for loud hockey fans. The Lightning finished last in their division
and another disappointing season followed in the lockout shortened 1995 season.
Still, the Tampa Bay Lightning appeared to be far ahead of other expansion teams.
In their fourth season, 1995-96, the Bolts finally made the post-season, nosing
out the defending Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils for the eighth spot in
the East. Although they lost their first-round series in six games to the Philadelphia
Flyers, it still remains a magical season for Lightning fans. Attendance of 28,183
fans in the Thnunderdome on April 23 set a record and was the most for any NHL game.
The team opened the 1996-97 season in a glittering new arena, the Ice Palace (now
the St. Pete Times Forum) and appeared destined for another playoff spot. But a
season littered with injuries would cause the Lightning to barely miss the playoffs.
The Lightning appeared to be in grand shape, with a strong core of young players
and veterans, but it was another seven years before the Lightning came even close
to a playoff berth.
After a few years of financial trouble and a couple changes in ownership and coaching
staff, the Lightning finally got back on track in 2002. Entering the 2002-03 season,
the Lightning's largely young roster was thought to be a few years away from contention.
However, the team arrived considerably earlier than expected. Led by the goaltending
of Nikolai Khabibulin and the scoring efforts of Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Ruslan
Fedotenko, Vaclav Prospal, Fredrik Modin and Brad Richards, and with a new captain,
Dave Andreychuk, the Lightning battled the Washington Capitals for first place in
the Southeast Division throughout the season. They finished with 93 points, breaking
the 90-point barrier for the first time in team history. The Lightning notched their
first playoff series win by beating the Capitals in a six-game series, but the Lightning
could not hold their own against their second-round opponent, the New Jersey Devils,
losing that series in five games. The Devils went on to win the Stanley Cup, but
fans were ecstatic about the Bolts' return to the post-season.
The following season, the Tampa Bay Lightning finished first in the Eastern Conference
with 106 points, second-best in the league after the Detroit Red Wings. It was the
first 100-point season in team history. In the first round of the playoffs, the
Lightning ousted the New York Islanders, a team many had picked to upset the Southeast
Division champs, as the Islanders had given the Lightning much trouble in the past.
In the second round, the Lightning faced the Montreal Canadiens and was able to
sweep them in four straight games. The Bolts then faced the Philadelphia Flyers
in the Eastern Conference finals, winning in a tough seven game series. The win
gave the Lightning their first ever Eastern Conference championship and their first
ever berth in the Stanley Cup finals.
In the Stanley Cup Playoffs the Lightning defeated the Calgary Flames 4 games to
3 to win their first Stanley Cup on June 7, 2004. The Lightning became the southernmost
team ever to win the Stanley Cup. Having entered the NHL in 1992-93, the Tampa Bay
Lightning is the third-fastest team to have a Stanley Cup win.
The Lightning had to wait a year to defend their title due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout,
but in 2005-06 they showed little sign of departing from the NHL's elite. They suffered
an early first-round playoff defeat, but played strong every game. The Tampa Bay
Lightning are sure to bring plenty of excitement to the NHL and its ever growing
fan base. Center ice tickets to the Tampa Bay Lightning are sure to go fast so order
them early!
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