TAMPA, Fla. — Downtown Tampa is calling for Lightning today - as in Hockey Day in Tampa Bay.
- Hockey Day in Tampa Bay
- Activities, Street Hockey tournament in Thunder Alley, outside Amalie Arena
- Proceeds from the day's events will benefit the Lightning Sled Hockey Team and the Gold Shield Foundation
Sunday's full day event is celebrating everything hockey in the Bay area.
Thunder Alley outside of Amalie Arena has been packed with fans since before 8 a.m. Sunday.
The 7th-annual event Chase Street Hockey Tournament is the centerpiece of the event, with 600 kids participating.
Fans can also enjoy interactive hockey attractions, practicing their shots and target shooting.
Hockey Day in Tampa Bay's in-arena activities will kick off with the NHL/NHLPA Lightning Made Learn to Play Jamboree inside Amalie Arena at 8 a.m. The Learn to Play session will be followed immediately by a girls hockey and sled hockey scrimmages, respectively. That will be followed by the best of the Lightning Hockey School Hockey League hitting the ice for the annual Honda LHSHL All-Star Game, showcasing some of the best in local talent.
Each of the 17 teams will send two players to the game. Afterward, local heroes will take to the ice with Tampa Bay Lightning Alumni at Amalie Arena in the Battle of the Badges game featuring Police officers versus Firefighters, presented by Spectrum.
As the event moves into the evening, the competition will pick up. At 5:15 p.m. the USF Ice Bulls men's club hockey team will play in a Southern Collegiate Hockey Conference playoff game.
At 8:45 p.m. the Lightning High School Hockey League's top teams will face-off to crown the 2018-19 LHSHL Champion.
Fans can attend all the events both inside Amalie Arena and outside for free, but a suggested donation of $10 is recommended, with all proceeds benefiting the Lightning sled hockey program and The Gold Shield Foundation.