The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional hockey team, founded as an expansion franchise in 1990. They have played in the National Hockey League since the 1992-93 season. They play their home games at Benchmark International Arena, known as Amalie Arena until 2025, and currently compete in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the NHL. The Lightning have won three Stanley Cups in franchise history.
Phil and Tony Esposito, both members of the Hockey Hall of Fame, led a group that sought to bring hockey to Tampa in the late 1980s. On December 6, 1990, the NHL announced Tampa Bay as a new franchise, and in the 1992-93 season, they, along with the Ottawa Senators, began competing in the league. In 2004, the Lightning won their first-ever Stanley Cup. Since then, they have won two more (in 2020 and 2021), and with additional Final appearances in 2015 and 2022, they are widely regarded as a modern NHL dynasty.
The Lightning have two retired numbers:
| Arena | Benchmark International Arena, 19,092 |
|---|---|
| Conference | Eastern, Atlantic Division |
| Stanley Cups | 3 — 2004, 2020, 2021 |
| 2025-26 | 50-26-6; lost Game 7 of round one to Montreal |
| Head coach | Jon Cooper, 2026 Jack Adams winner |
| Captain | Victor Hedman |
| General manager | Julien BriseBois |
| 2026 | Kucherov won the Hart, Vasilevskiy the Vezina |
Games, channels and prices: how to watch the Tampa Bay Lightning.
