Any Tampa Bay Lightning regulars?

[North7... Jeff 2]

I'm thinking of attending a Lightning game the first week of February and I'm hoping some local fiends can answer a few questions.

1. Where is the best place to get tickets? The official Lightning site takes me to Ticketmaster... are there any other options with discounted prices that others have used and can vouch for?

2. Parking - should I buy a parking ticket before the game date? I noticed these were available on Ticketmaster.

3. How much time should I allocate to get from FW to my seat? I'm thinking of a Thursday night game and would like to arrive between 5:30 - 6:00, so I'm guessing I'll probably have to deal with rush hour traffic.

Thanks for any insight.

Jeff

[Starbuc71 162]

I have a friend with season tickets so I visit lightning games often.

1. IMO ticketmaster is the best and easy way to get tickets

2. Definately get the parking pass. It will save you a lot of grief and trouble when parking close and in the garage

3. On a good day I can make it from the fort to Tampa in about an hour and 15 minutes give or take. For a 7:30 game, you will run into some severe traffic on I-4 about 8-10 miles outside of downtown around 4pm to 6pm. i would think if you gave yourself a minimum of 2-21/2 hours you should be fine. There is other things to do around the forum if you do get there early

4. Lightning games kick ass and are a blast to see live. they just rennovated the forum and they actually have real lightning sparking near the scoreboards. not too over the top, but still cool.

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

Lightning have a great GM. About all I can say about the Lightning :)

[LORNADUCK 261]

We make it to the fort from Riverview in about 1hr 15min, but I am off of 75 south of Tampa, I-4 that time of day is really backed up ( my work backs up to I-4 look for the Sunrise Landscape sign after you pass I-75 on the right), I would also leave 2 to 2 1/2 hrs, the area of the fourm is also very heavy traffice in rush hour. I would agree about the parking pass, at least you will know that you don't have to go driving around to find parking.

[MetalDad 33]

There's really nothing like a Lightning game. I have a lot of Canadian clients that agree, no matter what you think of the team, they've created a great hockey experience. Keep in mind, a lot of the hockey fans here in Florida have not had the chance to "grow up" with hockey the way that those in the north have, a different hockey culture to be sure. Expect to see plenty of people wearing hockey sweaters/jerseys and flip-flops! Last time I went to the game, Ace Frehley from KISS was performing in the courtyard for free after the final buzzer. Please post here after you're experience. Would love to read your thoughts on 'southern hockey'! Enjoy!

[SCTigerCock 171]

GO PENGUINS!!!!!

[Lou... 3,118]

All I have to say about that is, hockey doesn't belong in the south. It's blasphemy. Keep it where it rightfully belongs.

If you don't live in a place where water can freeze outdoors, you don't deserve to have an NHL hockey team. Hockey in the south, that's nuts.

As proof of this, Lightning, 4th place, Bruins, 1st place.

Oh, and who were the NHL champs last year? I rest my case.

Can you guess where I'm from?

And I don't want to hear the argument that Florida is in 1st place. That's a fluke.

[North7... Jeff 2]

I have a friend with season tickets so I visit lightning games often.

1. IMO ticketmaster is the best and easy way to get tickets

2. Definately get the parking pass. It will save you a lot of grief and trouble when parking close and in the garage

3. On a good day I can make it from the fort to Tampa in about an hour and 15 minutes give or take. For a 7:30 game, you will run into some severe traffic on I-4 about 8-10 miles outside of downtown around 4pm to 6pm. i would think if you gave yourself a minimum of 2-21/2 hours you should be fine. There is other things to do around the forum if you do get there early

4. Lightning games kick ass and are a blast to see live. they just rennovated the forum and they actually have real lightning sparking near the scoreboards. not too over the top, but still cool.

Starbuc71, thanks so much for this information... it is really helpful. Is there a specific route to take to the St Pete Times Forum or can I just go the route the GPS takes me?

Lightning have a great GM. About all I can say about the Lightning :)

Agreed. It seems Tampa has one of the better fan bases in the south and Yzerman gives the franchise the credibility it has lacked over the last 3-4 years. Stamkos is a star in the making and Hedman is turning into one of the best young D-men in the league.

Would love to read your thoughts on 'southern hockey'! Enjoy!

I'll definitely report back on the experience. We've only been to games in Toronto and Ottawa so I'm looking forward to experiencing a different hockey "atmosphere".

GO PENGUINS!!!!!

The Pens are probably the team we watch the most after the Leafs!! Crosby's injury really concerns me though. Hopefully, he can make a full recovery even if it means sitting out the rest of the year. The NHL needs Sid on the ice!!

Oh, and who were the NHL champs last year? I rest my case.

Can you guess where I'm from?

And I don't want to hear the argument that Florida is in 1st place. That's a fluke.

Lou, agreed about Florida... don't think they'll be in the top 8 of the Eastern Confernece come playoff time. Every team in their division has a better record over the last 10 games... they are slowly fading.

Your Bruins started the season very slow and were in last place in the Conference, but over the last 2 months they have made their way to the top of the league (winning %) and as much as I hate to say it, they appear like they are the team to beat again this year!!

There are 3 games the week we are there… the Caps, Jets, and Panthers are visiting. We’ve decided to go to the Jets game. I know they were the Atlanta Thrashers last year and we wouldn’t have chosen to watch them a year ago, but the frenzy up here in Canada that the return to Winnipeg has caused is unbelievable. As of this morning, the Jets are in the playoffs, so it should be a good game.

Now the league needs to get the Nordiques back in Quebec City... not sure if it will be Phoenix, Florida, or Columbus that moves but the talk up here is that Quebec will have a team in the next 2-4 years.

Jeff

[stefa70 205]

Wow, I just realized how you non-NASCAR people feel when you read the NASCAR thread.

Never got into hockey, I'd love to see a game in person though, because I hear there's good fights!

[SCTigerCock 171]

Never got into hockey, I'd love to see a game in person though, because I hear there's good fights!

Stef I think you would LOVE it. We have a minor league team in Charleston and love the games!!!

I've only been to one NHL game, and that was the season opener in DC. Awesome!

And the fights.............AWESOME!

[MetalDad 33]

Wow, I just realized how you non-NASCAR people feel when you read the NASCAR thread.

Never got into hockey, I'd love to see a game in person though, because I hear there's good fights!

I just got into NASCAR this year. My son and I follow Army Football, and have made camo a main theme in dress and decor, so naturally we picked Ryan Newman as our driver and car, the first race we watched together, he had a full camo car...that was all we needed!

Lou, we'll just see about baseball season! I think part of Carl Crawford's problem this past year was he might have hurt himself falling off of his wallet!

[Lou... 3,118]

Lou, we'll just see about baseball season! I think part of Carl Crawford's problem this past year was he might have hurt himself falling off of his wallet!

People have a tendency of underestimating the Red Sox when they think they're down.

Carl Crawford's problems can all be traced to the bad habits he picked up in St. Pete. It's going to take a while to de-Ray him.

You just don't know what you're going to catch in the Tampa Bay area.

[North7... Jeff 2]

Wow, I just realized how you non-NASCAR people feel when you read the NASCAR thread.

Never got into hockey, I'd love to see a game in person though, because I hear there's good fights!

We are NASCAR fans too!! My son has been a huge 24 fan since he started watching around the age of 4... he's 15 now. I used to like Kenny Schrader and Dale Jarrett but I haven't picked a new favorite driver since they stopped racing.

We watch every Sunday and have attended races in Michigan and Richmond. Just like a NASCAR race, watching a hockey game in person is a much better experience than watching on TV.

[devores 382]

I'm thinking of attending a Lightning game the first week of February and I'm hoping some local fiends can answer a few questions.

1. Where is the best place to get tickets? The official Lightning site takes me to Ticketmaster... are there any other options with discounted prices that others have used and can vouch for?

2. Parking - should I buy a parking ticket before the game date? I noticed these were available on Ticketmaster.

3. How much time should I allocate to get from FW to my seat? I'm thinking of a Thursday night game and would like to arrive between 5:30 - 6:00, so I'm guessing I'll probably have to deal with rush hour traffic.

Thanks for any insight.

Jeff

Since I was signaled out in this thread, Ill pipe in even though have gotten some great advice so far (except from Lou).

1. Where is the best place to get tickets? The official Lightning site takes me to Ticketmaster... are there any other options with discounted prices that others have used and can vouch for?

Ticket Master is the best place unless you can get to the forum ahead of time and buy directly from them. When buying the tickets, call, dont do it online. Allot of times they have discounted tickets they dont advertise. You have to talk to someone and ask. Not a gurantee, but its worked for me in the past. Sat in the 200 level (normally $150 tickets) for $50 once. The upper level can be cheap, but I prefer the 100 right on the glass. All of the seats are new and very comfortable.

2. Parking - should I buy a parking ticket before the game date? I noticed these were available on Ticketmaster.

My opinion, if you can walk, park in the channel side garage or one of the lots around the forum. Its $10 and not at all that far. We ussualy go early and get some dinner in channel side and get our parking validated, then its only $5. So a 5 min walk could save you some money. There has never been an issue with finding a parking spot either.

3. How much time should I allocate to get from FW to my seat? I'm thinking of a Thursday night game and would like to arrive between 5:30 - 6:00, so I'm guessing I'll probably have to deal with rush hour traffic.

On a weekday at that time, I would give yourself at least 3 hours if you want to see the warm ups. If you want to just see the puck drop, then 2 hours should be fine. Traffic gets horrible around that time and the exit to the forum is right in the middle of it. Trust me, I drive that route daily. Plus there is allot of construction going on in that area and around the forum, so traffic around the forum will be horrendous as well. I would go early and walk around channelside and grab an early dinner if you are worried about missing anything.

As mentioned before, nothing beats a lightning game. When they score, they have tesla coils that shoot lightning acrossed the forum. Its an amazing time. One side note, the forum will not allow DSLR cameras with removable lenses. A lesson I learned the hard way one time. Saves you a trip back to the car to put the camera away.

If you have any more questions, let me know. As you can tell by my avatar, I am a fan and follow them religiously.

All I have to say about that is, hockey doesn't belong in the south. It's blasphemy. Keep it where it rightfully belongs.

If you don't live in a place where water can freeze outdoors, you don't deserve to have an NHL hockey team. Hockey in the south, that's nuts.

As proof of this, Lightning, 4th place, Bruins, 1st place.

Oh, and who were the NHL champs last year? I rest my case.

Can you guess where I'm from?

And I don't want to hear the argument that Florida is in 1st place. That's a fluke.

Now now Lou, I remember we talked about this last year. The only fluke was the bruins winning the cup. We will see how this season plays out........

[stefa70 205]

I just got into NASCAR this year. My son and I follow Army Football, and have made camo a main theme in dress and decor, so naturally we picked Ryan Newman as our driver and car, the first race we watched together, he had a full camo car...that was all we needed!

If you hadn't noticed, I'm a Hendricks fan. Newman drives for Stewart-Haas, who gets their motors from Hendricks, so Newman is ok in my book! He's a good driver, even tempered, and keeps his nose pretty clean. Good choice!

We are NASCAR fans too!! My son has been a huge 24 fan since he started watching around the age of 4... he's 15 now. I used to like Kenny Schrader and Dale Jarrett but I haven't picked a new favorite driver since they stopped racing.

We watch every Sunday and have attended races in Michigan and Richmond. Just like a NASCAR race, watching a hockey game in person is a much better experience than watching on TV.

Jeff Gordon? Your son is a smart kid!!

I also liked (and still do) Dale Jarrett.

You need to plan a Daytona race, there's a few fiends that do Daytona. Think of the purple party we could have!

[MetalDad 33]

People have a tendency of underestimating the Red Sox when they think they're down.

Carl Crawford's problems can all be traced to the bad habits he picked up in St. Pete. It's going to take a while to de-Ray him.

You just don't know what you're going to catch in the Tampa Bay area.

Bad habits like chicken and beer? Although...both good habits...there goes that argument!

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

So why is this NASCAR talk in the hockey thread??!!!! I thought we had a NASCAR thread!!! (Gotta keep it contained ya know :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2: )

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

So why is this NASCAR talk in the hockey thread??!!!! I thought we had a NASCAR thread!!! (Gotta keep it contained ya know :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2: )

Is this a hijacking or carjacking or what? I'm confused. :rofl2:

[stefa70 205]

Carol would you feel better if we go talk hockey in the NASCAR thread? All sports pretty interchangeable. Hot players/drivers and crazed fans. :jumpforjoy

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Carol would you feel better if we go talk hockey in the NASCAR thread? All sports pretty interchangeable. Hot players/drivers and crazed fans. :jumpforjoy

:rofl2:

[North7... Jeff 2]

Ticket Master is the best place unless you can get to the forum ahead of time and buy directly from them. When buying the tickets, call, dont do it online. Allot of times they have discounted tickets they dont advertise. You have to talk to someone and ask. Not a gurantee, but its worked for me in the past. Sat in the 200 level (normally $150 tickets) for $50 once. The upper level can be cheap, but I prefer the 100 right on the glass. All of the seats are new and very comfortable.

Thanks devores... great information!! I'll call Ticket Master when I get home from work, however I'm not sure the tickets can be mailed to me in Canada. One of the other "delivery" options is the Will Call window if the venue has one. I'm assuming the Forum has a Will Call window... do you know if they do?

I'm looking at tickets in section 117, about 14 rows up from ice level, and just outside the blue line. My guess is these should be good seats with clear sight lines... any thoughts?

I really appreciate all the input from everyone... thanks.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

All I have to say about that is, hockey doesn't belong in the south. It's blasphemy. Keep it where it rightfully belongs.

If you don't live in a place where water can freeze outdoors, you don't deserve to have an NHL hockey team. Hockey in the south, that's nuts.

We've had awesome hockey here in Huntsville, AL for over 25 years!!!! The Canucks get tired of the frozen tundra and LOVE to play in the South.

When I was in college, I went to LOTS of hockey games, both our college team and pro team. Students could get a season ticket for $10. Great way for broke college kids to have a fun night out!!!!

Go HAVOC!! (I liked em better when they were the Channel Cats!!)

[devores 382]

Thanks devores... great information!! I'll call Ticket Master when I get home from work, however I'm not sure the tickets can be mailed to me in Canada. One of the other "delivery" options is the Will Call window if the venue has one. I'm assuming the Forum has a Will Call window... do you know if they do?

I'm looking at tickets in section 117, about 14 rows up from ice level, and just outside the blue line. My guess is these should be good seats with clear sight lines... any thoughts?

I really appreciate all the input from everyone... thanks.

Yes they have a will call window. It is seperated alphabeticly by the name of the purchaser. Really easy to use. If you need them mailed, I can give you my address and you can mail them to me and when you get into town we can get them to you.

117 would be good. We ussualy sit in 108 or 109 but have sat in pretty much every section. If Im not mistaken, 117 is by the penalty boxes. It will give you a nice view of the ice and you can track the game easily. The lightning girls (aka cheerleaders) tend to favour that area during the games too. So you may end up with a free T shirt. Im sure youre aware that you will need to keep a good eye on the puck sitting there. The glass is low and Ive seen more than one person take a puck to the head in that area.

This is the view you will have from 117:

[Starbuc71 162]

How come everytime a sports subject comes up about a Tampa Bay team, we have to hear sh*# from the Boston peanut gallery. Let me sum up a conversation that a Bostonian would have with anyone from Tampa....."hey you wanna be sports fan, the Rays suck, The lightning suck and o yeah, the Bucs suck. Keep hockey to the snowbelt, keep baseball to spring training and just get rid of football...why? Because Boston is the best...period. We drink beer, eat fried chicken, play video games all the while loosing a wild card berth" Boston needs to stick to comedy sitcoms. Cheers was the only thing going for them and that was in the 80's...and maybe Larry Bird. I'll give them that much. Sorry to hijack the thread..... GO LIGHTNING

[Lou... 3,118]

How come every time a sports subject comes up about a Tampa Bay team, we have to hear sh*# from the Boston peanut gallery.

I suspect you're refering to me. That's ok, I like it.

I'd like to take your post as tongue in cheek trash talk, but I'm not sure that's the case. Fell free to correct me if I'm wrong though.

Assuming, for now, that I'm right, I recall a while back you took a post I made tongue in cheek as serious. This last post I made was just kidding around, stirring the sports pot.

There is something about me that makes you think I'm being serious. Maybe it's me. I'm hardly ever serious, it's trash talk and you shouldn't take it any other way. Maybe it's because we've never met, don't know.

Anyway to set the record straight and to maybe change how you look at me, I lived in the Tampa Bay area for a long time after leaving New England. We raised kids there. Had a successful law practice in Clearwater.

I was very active in the community and am solely responsible for forming the first high school robotics team in Florida that competes in a national competition. That high school is in St Pete and the team still competes.

We were there when the Devil Rays were formed. We were there when the Lightning were formed. We've gone to numerous Rays games. Supported the Bucs. Attended Rays and Bucs practice sessions. I was there for the Bucs Super Bowl victory.

To put it in perspective, if Jacksonville had a baseball or hockey team and there were Fiends that were fans, I'd trash talk them too.