The Lightning’s "two-pronged approach" to protecting home ice "essentially means 'No Rangers Fans Allowed'" as the Eastern Conference Finals last night shifted to Amalie Arena for Game 3, according to Tom Spousta of the N.Y. TIMES. The policies "prohibit fans from wearing an opposing team’s apparel in certain club areas and restrict ticket sales to non-Florida residents." On the surface, the apparel policy "affects less than" 10% of the arena. Lightning Exec VP/Marketing & Communications Bill Wickett said, "We’re not going to apologize for the policy. We want to create as much of a hometown environment for the Lightning players and our season-ticket holders as we can, and we’ve been somewhat successful at it." Spousta notes the policies are "clearly stated on the Lightning’s Ticketmaster site." The apparel ban "affects mostly season-ticket holders in the Chase Club and Lexus Lounge areas." Spectators who do not comply are "offered similar colored apparel to wear; if they refuse, they are moved outside the club area to another available seat," but nobody is "thrown out of the arena." Wickett said that “'very few people, less than a handful,' had tested the policy." The restrictive ticket-sale policy was "devised to discourage non-Florida residents from trying to attend the games." Wickett insisted the policy "remained flexible for Lightning fans living outside Florida to contact the team and inquire about buying tickets." This is the first postseason in which the Lightning have "instituted the apparel ban in the club areas, after grumbling from some season-ticket holders that too many fans of other franchises, many wearing their team’s jerseys and hats, had found their way into the exclusive areas" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/21).
