Hockey in Tampa, Florida

On Saturday, my wife and I had the pleasure of seeing our Minnesota Wild in Tampa Bay in a match up against the Lightning. Because we currently reside in Florida, this is likely the only game we will see in person this season, so we were very excited for this game. We have the NHL Center Ice Ticket package so we are able to watch all of the games, and we plan our nights around the games; Minnesota hockey is a high priority for us! I thought I would take a moment to write about our experience in Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena.

First off, I need to note that this is the first time I have seen an NHL game in an opposing arena since I was 10 years old when I saw the Pittsburgh Penguins in St. Louis when it was still the Kiel Center. The Xcel Energy Center is all I have known for a long time. Because the Xcel Energy Center is a top-of-the-line venue, I compared every little detail to the “X.”

The Tampa Bay Lightning are a team I have been a fan of since they acquired Martin St. Louis. St. Louis has been one of my favorites for years and is still killing it in New York. I have a lot of respect for them being a team that won a Stanley Cup in a state where hockey is a sport that is never played outdoors and off most people’s radar. The fact that they have a respectable fan base was very appealing to me and something I was intrigued to see in person.

Amalie Arena was very nice. They have an outdoor concourse called Thunder Alley where they have a DJ, different contests sponsored by local radio stations, and a handful of food and beverage stands. Initially, the Lightning fans were very welcoming to the mass of Wild fans who were in attendance. A bus load of Wild fans who appeared to be a part of the Wild’s sponsored road trip were wearing their jerseys proudly and chanting “Let’s Go Wild” loudly. Boos were exchanged, but all in fun of course, Minnesota and Tampa Bay fans were conversing and talking before the gates opened at 6 PM. As we were waiting outside, a very nice couple came up and talked to us for a little while as they noticed my wife’s Matt Cooke jersey, turns our they were his extended family!

The Amalie Center employees were very friendly, they all hoped that we liked their arena and we told them that their arena was beautiful. The concourse was very spacious and they had a handful of team stores who were all promoting their “Black is Back” merchandise; The Lightning wear their alternate black jerseys on Saturday home games. One thing that stood out to me right away was how many people were wearing #24, Ryan Callahan gear and so few in #26 St. Louis gear. For a guy that almost literally put Florida hockey on the map, I was surprised to see how many people have moved on from him.

Nov 22, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Minnesota Wild center Mikko Koivu (9) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Alex Killorn (17) skate after the puck during the first period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

As we found our seats, we decided to go to the opposite end to watch the Wild warm-up, it was great to finally see all the guys up close, it made us feel like home again. When we got back, the Lightning fans started filling in the empty seats. We noticed that in the rafters were large electrical current rods (my apologies for not knowing what they are really called). When the Lightning came out, the rods would shoot off electrical currents that were supposed to look like lightning; it was no lighthouse.

The inside of the arena is where our experience took a turn. First off, they had a DJ in the arena like the Minnesota Timberwolves do. This was the first time I had seen a DJ at any hockey game. They also had cheerleaders lining the aisles during the game, which quite frankly, was annoying and unnecessary. This isn’t a college game! Thirdly, they didn’t announce the Wild’s starting lineup during introductions, which I found a little disrespectful.

When the game was in play, it was clear that the fans in Tampa and the fans in Minnesota really don’t compare. First, as we were getting up and down to let people walk in and out of the aisle, one lady walked by me and said, “Sorry, well, not sorry actually, you’re a Wild fan so whatever.” I am all for a playful jab, but I thought that was a little unnecessary. Second, the fans around us were talking about how stupid we looked in our jerseys all night, then went to make fun of Minnesotans in general. If people are visiting your arena, opposing fans or not, be respectful, they made the whole team look poorly. Thirdly, as I was walking to the restroom during the second intermission, a younger fan looked at me and stuck her tongue out as she walked be me.

Nov 22, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Minnesota Wild left wing Zach Parise (11) is congratulated by teammates after he scored against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Finally, and this was the icing on the cake for us, food was being thrown at the Wild fans in the row in front of us. As the popcorn and other crumbs landed on the elderly couple, the people behind us laughed. Once we saw that we were very disappointed with the Lightning and all of their fans. We made it a point to be very polite and as nice as possible because we knew we represented not only the Wild, but the state of Minnesota as well. Food should never be thrown at anybody, that was something I was not pleased to see.

All in all, we were happy to see our team play, even though they were on the losing end. It was great to see them score a goal, especially the first one. All I could think of was how much I wanted to see the lighthouse go off. It was clear that nothing will ever be as special as the Xcel Energy Center, Home of the Home Ice Advantage.