Tampa Bay Lightning

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City
Tampa, Florida

Conference
NHL Eastern Conference

Coach
John Tortorella

Mascot
Thunderbug the Lightningbug

Championships
Stanley Cup Champions:
2004

Division Champions:
2003 & 2004

Stadium
St. Pete Times Forum

Team Information
In 1991 hockey fever was picking up in the United States, and the NHL decided to add a new team in one of the most unlikely places of them all, Tampa Bay, Florida. They had hosted an exhibition game back in 1990 between Pittsburgh Penguins and the L.A. Kings. That game attracted a record crowd of 25,000 fans and paved the way for the new franchise that would become The Tampa Bay Lightning.

The team's management assured them selves with excellent names before hiring any new players. They had 70's Boston Bruin's star Phil Esposito as president and general manager, legendary goalkeeper and Phil's brother, Tony as chief scout and two times Stanley Cup winner Terry Crisp to attend the team behind the bench.

The first season the Lightnings played at the tiny Expo Hall who could seat approximately 11,000 fans. On their second season the team signed a two year contract to play at the gigantic Suncoast Dome who would be called the Thunderdome for the occasion. Three years later, the Lightnings had a real stadium when the Ice Palace was opened in 1996.

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