The Tampa Bay Lightning will host the St. Louis Blues at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida on Wednesday, September 21 at 7 p.m., Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Lightning announced today.
Tickets to the game will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, July 23 at 10 a.m. with a pre-sale being open to select buyers beginning on July 20. The game was originally scheduled to be played at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg and has been moved due to the franchise relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers.
“The City of Orlando can’t wait to host the first NHL hockey game in the new Amway Center where the Tampa Bay Lightning will battle the St. Louis Blues,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “We look forward to showcasing the new Amway Center and all of its state-of-the-art amenities to hockey fans here in Central Florida and from as far away as St. Louis and giving them an experience they will never forget.”
“We would like to thank Mayor Buddy Dyer and the City of Orlando for opening the doors of the Amway Center to the Tampa Bay Lightning,” Lightning Chief Operating Officer Steve Griggs said. “This game gives us a great opportunity to more easily reach Lightning fans in the Orlando community as we look to extend our footprint throughout Central Florida.”
The game will mark the fifth time in franchise history the Lightning will play an exhibition game down the I-4 corridor in Orlando. The other times were September 29, 1992 against the Philadelphia Flyers, September 29, 1993 versus the Dallas Stars, September 25, 1993 again against the Stars and, most recently, September 19, 1996 versus the Florida Panthers. Overall the Bolts are 3-0-1 when playing in Orlando during the preseason. They also played five regular season games at Orlando Arena during the 1993-94 season.
The Lightning are no strangers to traveling outside the Bay Area around the state of Florida during the exhibition season. Apart from their four previous games in Orlando, the Bolts have also played preseason games in Fort Myers (2002, 2000, 1999), Lakeland (1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992), Jacksonville (1998, 1995, 1993) and Tallahassee (1994). The most recent came on September 24, 2002 when the Bolts skated to a 3-3 tie with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Located in downtown Orlando and home to the National Basketball Association’s Orlando Magic, the Amway Center has a capacity of 17,300 in a hockey configuration. This will mark the first NHL game in the arena. A ribbon-cutting was held on October 1, 2010 to signify the building’s opening and it held the first ticketed event, a Vincente Fernandez concert, on October 8. The Magic played their first regular season game at the Amway Center on October 28 against the Washington Wizards.
Tickets for the game start as low as $10. Packages that include the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge or dinner in Jernigan’s restaurant are available. For ticket information, or to purchase, fans should visit AmwayCenter.com, the Amway Center Box Office or call 1.800.745.3000.
