After nearly a decade of relentless effort by the Lightning organization, the moment has finally arrived to bring outdoor hockey to Tampa. On Saturday, the team held its first practice under the climate-controlled tent installed to protect the ice surface.
“You felt like you were in a rural town in the north somewhere, playing in the youth hockey rink,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “That’s honestly how it felt and it was super cool. The low ceiling … it was awesome.
“We were sitting around talking to the team and we’re like, I can’t believe this roof’s going to come off and we’re going to be in the open air with all these people there.”
Nick Paul, no stranger to Raymond James Stadium from attending multiple Buccaneers games, said he’s just excited to take it all in.
“We couldn't get the whole experience because the tent was on, but when you walk out of the tent, the whole atmosphere is really cool,” said Paul. “When it's filled up with a lot of Bolts fans and a couple drunk pirates, it'll be a lot of fun.”
One of the primary concerns during the planning of the Stadium Series was if weather conditions would cooperate long enough to make outdoor hockey feasible in Tampa. That concern has largely been answered.
Photo Credit: Tampa Bay LightningSunday’s forecast calls for a high of 47 degrees and a low of 33, which would mark one of the coldest Feb. 1 temperatures on record in the Tampa Bay area. Conditions are close to ideal for outdoor hockey. As a result, the NHL will start dismantling the tent earlier than originally planned. The process, initially scheduled to start at 6 a.m. Sunday, will now begin at 12 a.m. and could be completed by 10 a.m. on game day.
"It's crazy because I think last February 1st, if I remember correctly, it was like 81 degrees in Tampa," said Cooper. "So in the past, this has been usually a cool time of year, but I don't know if in the 13 years I've been in Tampa, I will feel the temperature as cold as it's going to be tomorrow."
For the most part, the ice surface drew positive feedback from the players. Early in the Lightning’s practice, Cooper pointed out one small hole that was quickly addressed by the ice crew.
“That’s just how new ice is,” said Paul. “You’ve just got to skate on it a few times, rough it up a little bit and then it gets better. It was good today.”
Regardless of what the ice will be like on Sunday, the Lightning players said they’re focused on giving fans a memorable experience.
“It’ll be such a cool experience for our fans, they definitely deserve something like this,” said Andrei Vasilevskiy. “For us, it’ll be just another game we have to win to make our fans happy. And no matter what the ice quality is gonna be, all the things around that game, because obviously it’ll be pretty hyped, right? But for us, it’ll be just a regular game we have to win. So, just focus and don’t think about anything else.”