The Tampa Bay Lightning sent out a mailer about what may already be known to most Lightning fans but Game #6 on Sunday, April 22nd is slated to begin at 1 PM.

Tickets still available, blah blah blah, you know the drill.

I did this last season and of course the media didn’t listen, nor did the team… I’m hoping the local blogosphere can help carry this into the mainstream but…

“When does Lightning show up best? When it’s dark.”

Ladies and gentlemen, we ought to blackout the St. Petersburg Times Forum on Monday (and Wendesday, and whenever else necessary). It is a copycat tradition to have everyone in the building wearing one type color or another… but it’s not as tired and cliché as the “white out”.

Simply show up at the arena wearing dark colors — black, dark blues, etc. Heck, it’s the color of the uniform the home team is wearing, lest we forget

OK, someone tell me directly that I shoved my foot in my mouth… Or better yet, the Lightning shoved my foot in my mouth.

In a quick reversal of fortune — that can quickly change again if the Lightning let up — they go into tonights home game versus the Ottawa Senators with a shot at first place in the Southeast Division and the #3 seed in the east. The Thrashers hath fallen to the Pittsburgh Penguins this afternoon (2-1 final) and that puts pressure on the Lightning to perform.

Packed house at the arena expected tonight, as the Lightning box office was selling standing room only tickets as of this morning. Times Palace will be rocking if not for playoff calibre hockey (or so we hope) but also with people wanting to see Vincenzo tally #50 on his scoring belt for the year.

March Madness ain’t shit compared to playoff push hockey.

You got a hockey game one night, you have a Justin Timberlake concert the next and another hockey game the next evening. Getting an NHL arena ready for it’s various functions is no small order and takes lots of manpower as well as lots of dedication.

I could talk up how big a job an arena conversion crew has all day… I’ll let the Toronto Star’s video of the Air Canada center being converted tell you everything though.

For tonights Lightning/Hurricanes game. It should be noted that Guns and Roses (more like “Axel Rose and Friends”) performed last night at the arena… Late Last night. We’re talking after midnight.

So keep this in mind (ice conditions) if you’re watching the game on TV and think the ice is crapola tonight…

Friday night opens play of the first annual Lightning College Hockey Classic at the St. Petersburg Times forum in downtown Tampa. All of this is a prelude to Tampa hosting the Frozen Four in 2012.

The ironic thing about the event (which is taking place on Friday and Saturday) is that Notre Dame is officially listed as the host college of the tournament. The University of Alabama-Huntsville is the closest hockey program to Tampa. That’s not saying there aren’t hockey programs at the universities of Florida, Florida State, South Florida, Miami and other places in the state — that is saying they aren’t NCAA sanctioned hockey programs.

What are you doing Saturday?

Young Nicholas learned, on his summer vacation, that you should phear Dan Boyle:

Photo taken at the Shots draft party on Saturday. Credit Boltsmag reader Marsha for the picture

Thunderbug has gone camping…

Not out int he woods, not on Caldesi Island or something… No, on the roof of the St. Pete Times Forum until the first round of the playoffs sell out.

Get them early, get them often, and if you can’t — there is always the eight-dollar-day-of-game-ticket deal.

A friend wanted me to let everyone know that, after Sunday’s Tampa Bay Lightning matchup with the Pittsburg Penguins… There’s another matchup at the Forum:

Sunday night after the Lightning game against the Penguins, The WHA Tampa Bay Sharks and the WHA Daytona Blazers will be playing at the St. Pete Times Forum. The league game will begin at 8:00 for anyone who would like to stay to watch.

Hockey and more hockey. Ain’t life grand?

Palace Sports is continuing to look for workers in various positions to help out at the St. Pete Times Forum.

The next job fair will be held on November 28th between Five and Eight PM EST. Everything from conversion staff to banquet cooks are needed and it’s worth at least try to apply for one of these postions if you are currently seeking work.

Another short entry…

Stuck in the 80’s has an interesting report over on their site:

Beer vendors at the Forum were overheard saying that U2 fans drank more beer than the last two Lightning games combined.

Guess the Bolts never made good on the “unlimited beer for season ticket holders” sign up promotion….

I know I brought up Newks’ a couple of months ago — the fact that it was going to be demolished and the fact it would be re-established within the building that was going to replace it…

I thought everyone might want to take a gander at the rendering of what is going to replace the current structure. Lo and behold the Plaza at Channelside:

For those curious, Tampa Bay is 2nd in the league (after 5 home games) in attendance average with 20,752. The Lightning’s game by game attendance breakdown can be found on The Sports Network.

I like to think how the Lightning own the playoff attendance record… Now there is another record they can boast as opening night was the largest opening night crowd in NHL History….

For those of you who can’t secure tickets to tomorrow night’s season / home opener at the Times Palace might want to know that the the game is to be broadcast on the side of the Channelside parking garage in a setup much like the 2003-04 playoffs.

Also, the B-52’s are scheduled to perform a free concert from 5PM to 6:45 in the Chrysler Jeep plaza…

…Which means if you have tickets and don’t want to take part in either the concert or the outside viewing, remember there is more than one enterance to the arena…. Fans can access the building from the East side of the Arena (gates C and D) to get around the crowd in the plaza.

For those who want to WATCH the game live… Arenavision is still broadcasting at this moment (mid 1st period).

Not the easiest to follow everything but it’s better than nothing

EDIT: And no sooner than this gets published, the Arenavision feed is turned off. Bah!

Single game tickets are now on sale.

I’d also like to point out that if you donate twenty dollars or more to the Red Cross through Ticketmaster.com you will receive a ticket to a Lightning Pre-season game.

Martin St. Louis donated $25,000 and got 1250 tickets – which he is donating….

And Craig Darby was traded from the Lightning organization to the Vancouver Canucks for future considerations.

I haven’t reported on the Lightning accepting donations at the St. Pete Times Forum, all for relief items for Hurricane Katrina victims — money, goods like water and tools, non perishable foods and personal hygine products.

Well… Just look what Tampa Bay has done in response:

Due to the incredible response for Hurricane Katrina Recovery efforts, the St. Pete Times Forum is asking for the following – Palettes, Shrink Wrap, Boxes, Trucks and Semi-Trailers. If you can help, please call Mary Milne @ 813.301.6762

This is a late post with regards to this plea but if any Tampa Bay based businesses or shipping companies want to assist — give Mary a ring….

A few days ago I mentioned the St. Pete Times Forum sitting in silence.

What I didn’t mention was the change in status this week… The beautiful sight that I witnessed as it was created over the last few days… I can’t create a thumbnail but I can tell you what it is:

There be ICE there!

The Crest is down, the lines are down, “Thank you Fans!” is written at the bluelines…

Hockey is almost here!

As of right now, this is the St. Pete Times Forum:

A silent tomb, converting from concert to concert to other public engagement. It is absent the one characteristic that it was built for: hockey. NHL hockey. Tampa Bay Lightning hockey. It’s been absent of this for a long while now but soon — soon my precious — they will be brought together again. Soon…. soon the boards will be put up, the ice will be laid and the banner raised.

Just not soon enough

For those interested, the Tampa Bay Lightning have long had Arenavision on their web site – live video streaming from the Forum. It doesn’t always work (with IE or Firefox) but the feed source URL is here. This should open Windows Media Player (if you have it installed).

Well, sure, the NHL is hiring on a team-by-team, player-by-player basis right now….

But so is the Tampa Bay Lightning / Palace Sports and Entertainment. On August 13th there will be a job fair at the St. Pete Times Forum with a wide array of positions to apply for.

Complimentary parking for the Job Fair will be available in the VIP East Lot located behind the building on St. Pete Times Forum Drive. Applicants should enter through the Chrysler Suite entrance on the East Plaza. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. For more information call (813)301-6500. The Tampa Bay Lightning is an equal opportunity employer.

Tampa Bay Business Journal reports that the St. Petersburg Times Forum is ranked the top grossing concert venue in North America and #2 in the world

Palace Sports is certainly beeming but no stranger to this credit. The Palace at Auburn Hills and the Forum (aka Ice Palace) are routinely ranked at the top of barious polls or studies.

EDIT: Some of you may be aware that the Ford Amphitheater at the Florida State Fairgrounds has been having legal trouble due to violating noise ordinanences. Others might be aware that Palace Sports and Entertainment (the company that owns and operates the St. Pete Times Forum) has a financial investment in said Amphitheater with Clear Channel Communications.

It was revealed today that due to legal entanglements and the fact Clear Channel Communications can’t vouche for the facility, concerts (such as Monday’s Anger Management tour performance) will be relocating from the Ford Amphitheater to the St. Pete Times Forum.

Concert ticket holders can either exchange their tickets or get a full refund starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Refunds are only available at the point of purchase.

If you have tickets to an upcoming event at the Ford Amphitheater, you may want to contact the St. Pete Times Forum at 813-301-6600 to see if the event has been relocated.

Justin over at Bayciti reports that Newks’ Cafe — the current location of which will be demolished to make way for a 38 story condo tower — will be the ground-floor occupant of said condo tower.

I’m still a little put off by this project but… Newks’ survives… That’s better than just condos condos condos.

The sites will formally be revealed later today. The St. Petersburg Times Forum is one of the candidate sites. Stay tuned for news updates.

The Detroit Free Press is reporting Ford Field has won one of the 3 games.

USCHO.com reports that the NCAA will name the next FOUR sites, not three, and the St. Petersburg Times Forum is one of the site winners!

The Tampa Tribune is now reporting that the Tampa Bay region has been awarded the 2012 Frozen Four and a press conference is to be held at the St. Petersburg Times Forum at 3 PM.