Amalie Arena facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Amalie Arena

Former names	Ice Palace (1996-Aug 2002) St. Pete Times Forum (Aug 2002-Jan 2012) Tampa Bay Times Forum (Jan 2012-Sep 2014)
Location	401 Channelside Drive, Tampa, Florida, USA 33602
Coordinates	27°56′34″N 82°27′7″W / 27.94278°N 82.45194°W / 27.94278; -82.45194
Owner	Tampa Sports Authority
Capacity	Ice hockey: 19,758 Basketball: 20,500 Concert: 21,500 Arena Football: 19,500
Construction
Broke ground	1995
Opened	October 20, 1996
Construction cost	$139 million
Architect	Ellerbe Becket
Tenants
Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) (1996–present) Tampa Breeze (LFL) (2009–present) Tampa Bay Storm (AFL) (1997–present) NHL All-Star Game (1999) Survivor Series (2000) ACC Men's Basketball Tournament (2007) NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four (2008) NCAA Women's Volleyball Final Four (2009) WWE Extreme Rules (2011) NCAA Men's Frozen Four (2012) 2012 Republican National Convention

The Amalie Arena is a large sports and entertainment building in Tampa, Florida. It is used for many exciting events. These include ice hockey games, basketball games, and arena football matches. Many famous concerts also happen here.

It is the home stadium for two professional sports teams. The Tampa Bay Lightning play their NHL hockey games here. The Tampa Bay Storm also play their Arena Football League games at Amalie Arena.

History of Amalie Arena

The Amalie Arena is located in Downtown Tampa's Channelside District. It was built after plans for another arena didn't work out. The arena first opened its doors in 1996. It was originally known as the Ice Palace.

First Events and Teams

The very first event held at the Ice Palace was a performance by the Royal Hanneford Circus. Soon after, the first hockey game took place. The Tampa Bay Lightning played against the New York Rangers. The Lightning won that exciting game with a score of 5–2.

The arena was built because the Lightning needed a bigger home. Their old stadium, the Expo Hall, was too small. Before the Ice Palace opened, the Lightning played at the Florida Suncoast Dome. This stadium was nicknamed the "Thunderdome." The Tampa Bay Storm also played there. When the Ice Palace was finished, both teams moved in. The Thunderdome is now called Tropicana Field. It is home to the Major League Baseball team, the Tampa Bay Rays.

Arena Name Changes Over Time

The name of the arena has changed a few times since it opened in 1996. The first name was the Ice Palace. Later, the naming rights were sold to a local newspaper. This newspaper was called the St. Petersburg Times. So, the arena became the St. Pete Times Forum.

In January 2012, the newspaper changed its name to the Tampa Bay Times. Because of this, the arena's name also changed. It became the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Then, on September 3, 2014, the owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Jeff Vinik, announced another name change. The arena was renamed Amalie Arena. This happened after an agreement with Amalie Oil Company, which is an oil company based in Tampa.

Other Events at the Arena

Besides hockey and arena football, Amalie Arena hosts many other fun events. These include big concerts and NBA basketball games. College basketball games, like those for the USF and NCAA Tournament games, are also played here.

The arena also hosts tennis matches, professional wrestling shows, and boxing events. You can also see figure skating and rodeos, including bull riding competitions. The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) have held an event here every year since 1998.

Notable Events and Championships

Amalie Arena has been the site of many important and exciting events. It has hosted major sports championships and popular entertainment shows.

Major Sporting Events

The arena hosted the 1999 National Hockey League All-Star Game. This is a special game where the best players from the NHL play against each other. In 2004, the Amalie Arena was home to four of the seven games of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. The Tampa Bay Lightning won their first Stanley Cup championship here, beating the Calgary Flames.

The arena has also hosted ArenaBowl XII in 1998 and ArenaBowl XVII in 2003. These are the championship games for the Arena Football League. In 2007, the 2007 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament was held here.

NCAA Tournaments

Amalie Arena has welcomed several NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) tournaments. In 2008, it hosted the NCAA Women's Division I Final Four Basketball Tournament. The Tennessee team won against Stanford. In 2009, the Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament took place here.

In 2012, the arena hosted the NCAA Men's Hockey Frozen Four championship finals. This was a big deal because it was the first time this hockey championship was held outside the northern United States since 1999. The University of Alabama in Huntsville helped host the event.

Concerts and Entertainment

Many famous musicians have performed at Amalie Arena. In 2009, Britney Spears brought her "The Circus Starring Britney Spears" tour to the arena.

The arena is also a popular spot for WWE events. Both WWE Raw and WWE SmackDown have been held here many times. On November 3, 2008, Raw celebrated its 800th episode at the arena. WWE also held a big pay-per-view event, WWE Extreme Rules, on May 1, 2011.

Other Important Gatherings

In 2012, Amalie Arena hosted the 2012 Republican National Convention. This is a large meeting where a major political party chooses its candidate for president.

Gallery

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  Amalie Arena, exterior view.

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  Inside Amalie Arena (then St. Pete Times Forum), April 8th, 2006.

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  Interior from near ice level.

Other links

Images for kids

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  Tampa Bay Times Forum logo (2012-2014)

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  St. Pete Times Forum in 2004

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  Interior from concourse level during a Tampa Bay Storm game in 2017.

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  Watch party outside the entrance to the arena during the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals

See also

In Spanish: Amalie Arena para niños