30 hockey seasons ago, Amalie Arena didn’t exist.
There were no smart phones, no golf carts zipping around. Just people living in the moment, chatting on landlines, commuting on the People Mover and paying for parking with physical currency.
Ah, yes. Tampa Bay was a different place when the Bolts first laced up the skates. Things have changed. The team has changed. And as a result, the now perennial Stanley Cup franchise often feels symbolic of the burgeoning place it calls home.
To celebrate three decades of this phenomenon, we collaborated with our fellow VSG and Lightning teammates to reach out to the people who have been riding with the team since day one. The folks who were there for the inaugural game at the Florida State Fair Expo Hall and who are still Season Ticket Members to this day. We wanted to relive their history not only from a hockey perspective, but from a lifestyle vantage point as well.
Which players excited us most in 1992? Which bars packed in Bolts fans before the likes of Hattricks and MacDinton’s existed?
Over the next few months, some of these stories and responses will be shared in multiple articles through both the Tampa Bay Lightning and The Identity Tampa Bay—the former focusing on the team, the latter covering lifestyle.
Reading through these responses made us feel grateful to be in Tampa. And appreciative of a fanbase that’s willing to share their recollections to further generations of fans to come. So by all means, hop in our allegorical Ford Probe and gun it to 1992. As always, Go Bolts.
If you wanted to catch the Lightning at a sports bar in 1992, where did you go?
- Beef O’ Brady’s (7)
- Ferg’s (2)
- AJ’s (2)
- The Wing House
- The Press Box
- Bleachers
What was your favorite Tampa Bay restaurant in 1992? What is it now?
1992: The Columbia
Now: Steelbach
– Dave Surplus
1992: The Columbia
Now: Fleming’s
— Paula DeSantis-Terris
1992: Bern’s
Now: Bascom’s
— Craig Galiano
1992: Donatello
Now: Columbia
— Greg Zimmer
1992: Bern’s
Now: Bern’s
— Philip Cohen
1992: The Spaghetti Warehouse
Now: Bern’s Steakhouse
— David Budlen
1992: Bern’s Steakhouse
Now: Salt Shack on the Bay
— Bill Curtis
1992: Chili’s
Now: Rooster & The Till
— Jeff Hand
1992: Columbia
Now: Seasons 52
— Tim Eitel
1992: Bern’s Steakhouse
Now: Stein & Vine
— Joe Poliseo
1992: Hooter’s
Now: Hattricks
— Thomas Ando
1992: Spaghetti Warehouse
Now: Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
— Brian Mungal
1992: Donatello
Now: Bern’s Steakhouse
— Mitch Kanaan
What car did you drive to the inaugural Tampa Bay Lightning game? (Surveyed Anonymously)
- “My dad drove an old-school Ford Bronco. Fitting for the fairgrounds.”
- “My dad’s car. I think it was a Toyota Celica convertible.”
- “Pontiac ‘Soccer Mom’ van.”
- “Honda Civic!!! Stick shift!!!”
- “1990 Nissan 240SX”
- “1990 Ford Probe.”
- “Renault Sports Wagon”
What has been your favorite part about the growth of Tampa over the past 30 years?
“We have a city now.” – Paula DeSantis-Terris
“The growth of an amazing fan base for the Lightning and the maturing of Tampa into a leading community.” – Greg Zimmer
“Watching the community grow alongside this team.” – Philip Cohen
“I drove past Downtown Tampa for my first interview in October 1983, thinking: ‘There’s a couple office buildings, I must be getting close!” I had never been to Tampa prior to that day and was a CPA moving down from New York/Long Island. So my expectations of what the 14th or 16th largest city in the country might look like were way overblown. It’s been great to watch Tampa Bay become a true major metropolitan area that we can all be so proud of.” – Kevin Marsar
“Being able to see the city from it’s infancy to now. It is very amazing and people do not get to experience that very often.” – Monique Baumrucker
“The growth of a team that the city loves to talk about. Every city loves to have a team to be truly proud of and the Lightning gave us that.” – Douglas Wycoff
“Witnessing the evolution of a modern major city.” – J.K. Williams MD
“The great and loyal Lightning fan base.” – Bill Kale
“Three Cups.” – Don Hadsell
“Jeff Vinik.” – Elliott Ross
“I feel like as the area has grown our sports teams have grown with it. It feels like a big-league sports town now.” – Mitch Kanaan
“Taking it all in.” – Bill Streator
What do you wish was the same?
“Prices. Ease of parking. And traffic.” – Greg Zimmer
“I love the vibrancy and energy of the current city, but miss some of the quaintness of the locally owned restaurants and shops.” – Kevin Massar
“Physical game tickets and souvenir soda cups.” – Philip Cohen
“The name of the arena. The Ice Palace.” – Don Hadsell
“My age.” – Bill Curtis
“Traffic.” – Jeff Hand
“Traffic.” – Robyn Fiel
“The ease of getting around.” – Joe Poliseo
Favorite addition to Tampa over the past three decades:
Jeff Vinik (8)
The Tampa Riverwalk (7)
Amalie Arena (The Ice Palace) (7)
Crosstown Expansion (2)
Water Street Tampa (2)
Pick One: Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall or Houlihan’s Stadium.
Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall: 93%
Houlihan’s Stadium: 7%