- 1992
- 1993
- 2004
- 2020
-
Tampa Bay Lightning Team Formation
According to former NHL president Gil Stein, another factor was that the Karmanos/Rutherford group wanted to pay only $29 million before starting play, while the Esposito group was one of the few willing to pay the entire $50 million expansion fee upfront. After being awarded the franchise, the team’s management brought in star power before they had any players. Phil ... -
Thunderdome
The following season saw the Lightning shift to the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division, as well as move into the Florida Suncoast Dome a building originally designed for baseball in St. Petersburg, which was reconfigured for hockey and renamed “the Thunderdome”. The stadium, built originally as the Florida Suncoast Dome, was first used in an attempt to entice the Chicago White ... -
Stanley Cup Winner 2004
The 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League began on April 7, 2004, following the 2003 – 2004 regular season. The playoffs ended with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning the Stanley Cup with a seven-game series win over the Calgary Flames on June 7. It was Tampa Bay’s first Stanley Cup victory. It was the Flames’ third final ... -
Stanley Cup Winners 2020
The 2020 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) 2019–20 season and the culmination of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. The series was contested between the Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning and the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars. The Lightning won the best-of-seven series, four games to two, for their second championship in ...
History of the Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning is a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. It is a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). Tampa Bay has one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003 – 2004. The team is often referred to as the Bolts, and the nickname is used on the current third jersey. The Lightning plays home games in the Amalie Arena in Tampa.
Established
1992
City
Tampa Bay
League History
1992 – Present / National Hockey League
Team History
1992 – Present / Tampa Bay Lightning
Nickname
Lightning – In 1990, a thunderstorm served as inspiration for then-president of the Tampa Bay Hockey Group Phil Esposito’s decision to name his team the Lightning. Esposito said that, in addition to being a natural characteristic of the Tampa Bay area, Lightning expressed the fast action of a hockey game.
The Tampa Bay area, which encompasses Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater, is sometimes referred to as the “lightning capital of North America.”
Championship
Stanley Cup 3
2021, 2020, 2004
Arena
2014 – Present / Amalie Arena
2012 – 2014 / Tampa Bay Times Forum
2002 – 2012 / St. Pete Times Forum
1996 – 2002 / Ice Palace
1993 – 1996 / Tropicana Field
1992 – 1993 / Expo Hall
Owner
2010 – Present / Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment
2007 – 2010 / Oren Koules and Len Barrie
1999 – 2007 / William Davidson
1998 – 1999 / Arthur L. Williams, Jr.
1992 – 1998 / Kokusai Green
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Retired Number
4 / Vincent Lecavalier
26 / Martin St. Louis
99 / Wayne Gretzky
*Blue is this team’s history