Tampa Bay Times Forum

The Tampa Bay Times Forum (formerly the Ice Palace and St. Pete Times Forum ) is an indoor arena in Tampa, Florida, which is used for ice hockey, basketball and arena football games, and concerts. The arena is currently the home of the NHL teams Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League. Furthermore, this contributed Tampa Breeze, from the LFL, until the end of the 2011/2012 season his games from.

History

In 1996, the arena was opened as the Ice Palace, she replaced it, Tropicana Field ( also known as Thunderdome ) in Saint Petersburg, which has been the home of the Lightning.

The stadium site, which is located in Tampa's Channel District, was originally only a second choice behind the construction of the arena provided the country near the Tampa Stadium, but these plans failed due to financing difficulties. The official opening of the arena took place October 20, 1996 instead of the NHL game against the Lightning, the New York Rangers with a 5-2 Lightning were able to achieve their first win in the new stadium in the first game.

The possession of the arena changed in 1999 by the Tampa Bay Lightning, who had previously leased the arena to which is owned by billionaire William Davidson located ligand Palace Sports & Entertainment, as Davidson was also owner of the Lightning. The naming rights to the Ice Palace were in 2002 to the St. Petersburg Times, a prominent daily newspaper in Tampa, sold. December 31, 2011 As the newspaper changed the name to Tampa Bay Times, also the name of the arena was adjusted.

End of August 2012 was the Republican National Convention held in the arena.

Use

In addition to league play at the Tampa Bay Times Forum other sporting events such as NBA Friendlies, college basketball, NCAA tournaments, tennis, wrestling, boxing, skating and even rodeos take place.

In 1999, the arena hosted the NHL All- Star Games in 2003/ 04, the master of year the Tampa Bay Lightning, also 4 of 7 Stanley Cup Finals in the forum took place.