A successful season of NHL hockey along with putting on a dazzling show has helped the Lightning grow a loyal and large fan base that filled Amalie Arena for a watch party Monday night.

"We’ve got a great owner who allows us to invest in those things that create a great fan experience," said Lightning President Steve Griggs. "We did obviously ramp it up for the Stanley Cup playoffs."

The Lightning offered free admission to Amalie Arena, 40-percent off concessions and $5 parking for the Stanley Cup Final Game 6 watch party.

The official count was 16,909 fans who showed up to watch the game against the Chicago Blackhawks on the arena's big screens. Griggs said it was the biggest watch party ever in the Bay area. Most of those fans were between the ages of 18-to-35, who likely can't afford tickets to a home game.

"What’s really important is these young folks are now becoming Lightning fans at a young age. We call them the millennials," Griggs said. "We’re trying to grow that fan base here and you start with non-hockey fans or casual fans and you want to grow them to become passionate Lightning fans."  

Lightning coach Jon Cooper said he got choked up when he saw how many fans showed up for the watch party.

"It was crushing for us to see 17,000 people in our arena and we couldn’t pull it home for them," Cooper said. "But it’s just that much more motivation for us next year."

The secret to the success of the Lightning is really no secret. Put a great product on the ice, make it fun for the fans and they will show up. Something other Bay Area franchises would love to duplicate.

"I just want to thank the fans. They’ve been incredible for the last nine weeks," Griggs said. "It’s been an incredible ride of highs and lows and they’ve been with us the whole time and I can’t say enough but thank you."

"When we heard there was 17,000 people watching the game last night at our rink, obviously we wanted to win for everyone in this city that has been supporting us," said Lightning Captain Steven Stamkos. "It’s tough right now but these fans are the best in the league and it puts a smile on your face even though it’s obviously a tough loss."