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Photo: Miosotis Jade · CC BY-SA 4.0
Current · NHL
Benchmark International Arena
Home of the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa, FL
Still to visit
Teams
Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL · hockey
1996–present
Also known as Amalie Arena · Tampa Bay Times Forum · St. Pete Times Forum · Ice Palace
Stadium facts
- Capacity
- 19,092
- Hockey. Basketball is listed at 20,500. Arena football is listed at 18,500. Concerts are listed at 21,500.Source for capacity
- Opened
- October 20, 1996
- Ground broken April 14, 1994. The first event was a performance by the Royal Hanneford Circus.Source for opened
Names and sponsors
- Source
Ice Palace
1996–2002
St. Pete Times Forum
2002–2012
Sponsor: St. Petersburg Times
SourceTampa Bay Times Forum
2012–2014
The lead says the newspaper took that name in January 2012.
SourceAmalie Arena
2014–2025
The lead says the arena was renamed Amalie Arena in September 2014.
SourceBenchmark International Arena
2025–present
The infobox ends the Amalie name in 2025. No dollar terms for these naming deals were taken from the page.
Source
Timeline
1996
1999
2004
2016
2018
2021
2022
October 20, 1996
Opens as the Ice Palace
The building opened on October 20, 1996, as the Ice Palace. Its first event was a Royal Hanneford Circus performance. The first hockey game was a Lightning win, 5–2, over the New York Rangers.
SourceUpcoming schedule
No games are posted yet. The home schedule will show here when it is available.
Seating chart
Approximate — not an official seating chart.
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Plan your trip
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Tickets
Flights
Hotels
Location
- Stay near Benchmark International Arena. Search hotels by the stadium area rather than a brand name.
- Transit-first base. If Tampa has rail or subway, a station-area stay is often easier.
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Stadium Guide
Ice-level energy, intermission walks, and arena photo spots.
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Sights and stay areas around Tampa.
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