Tommy over at Sticks of Fire dropped me a line letting me know there would be a Pep Rally tomorrow for the Lightning.

From the Tampa City Government web site:

Pep Rally Planned To Celebrate Tampa Bay Lightning

TAMPA, FL (May 24, 2004) - The City of Tampa, in conjunction with the St. Pete Times Forum, will host a pep rally for Tampa Bay Lightning fans on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 at 6 p.m. on the plaza at the Forum. The rally will celebrate the team?s Eastern Conference title before they take on the Calgary Flames for Game One of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. Members of the public are welcome and encouraged to attend to support the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Rick Peckham, known as ?The Voice of the Lightning? will emcee the pep rally and members of Tampa City Council and the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners will join Mayor Pam Iorio on stage to celebrate the team?s success. Mayor Iorio will proclaim May 25, 2004 ?Tampa Bay Lightning Day.?

After the pep rally, the St. Pete Times Forum will host a viewing party for Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals and will televise the game on large screens on the plaza. The viewing party will begin at 8 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Parking will be available for $10 in the city?s South Regional Garage located at 301 Channelside Drive adjacent to the St. Pete Times Forum. Overflow parking will be directed to Ft. Brooke Parking Garage located at 107 N. Franklin Street and Whiting Street Garage located at 400 Whiting Street. Parking will cost $8 in both the Ft. Brooke and the Whiting Street garage, which are conveniently located three blocks from the St. Pete Times Forum. Please keep in mind, because the game is sold out, carpooling and walking to the event is encouraged.

CBS.SportsLine.com - NHL Series: Lightning vs. Flames

If it’s not exactly a match made in television heaven, then at least this year’s Stanley Cup Finals seem to have been created with true hockey fans in mind.

Click the above link for their full series rundown from CBS.

From TSN.ca

Panthers fire GM Dudley
TSN.ca Staff

5/24/2004
The Florida Panthers have fired general manager Rick Dudley. He has been offered another position within the organization.

Multiple sources have told TSN that former Panthers head coach Mike Keenan will likely take over as general manager with long-time friend and former Ottawa Senators head coach Jacques Martin taking over as head coach. Keenan and Martin have a long history together dating back to the Peterborough Petes and St. Lawrence University.

The mess just keeps on brewing in Miami… Mike gets fired, Dudley hired, Panthers bring in young talent through trades and the draft and Iron Mike is brought back with little patience for young players…

This is sure to be interesting.