With Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final set for tomorrow at Amalie Arena, the Lightning's policies aimed at limiting ticket sales and apparel of opposing fans "has irked" fans throughout the postseason, and Blackhawks fans are the "most recent victims," according to Steve Contorno of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. The Lightning's front office has "pursued an aggressive ticket strategy that blocks people with out-of-state credit cards from purchasing tickets" through the team's Ticketmaster portal, and "only Floridians, who are presumably Lightning fans, can buy tickets directly." The team "first tested the strategy last year when it restricted" int'l ticket sales during the playoff series against the Canadiens. Lightning Exec VP/Marketing & Communications Bill Wickett said, "We've done everything we can to preserve a hometown environment, and we're relatively happy with what we've done so far." Contorno notes in addition to the ticket rules, anyone who "sits in the pricey Chase Club and Lexus Lounge, about 1,400 seats, is prohibited from wearing opposing team apparel." If they do, they will be "asked to change clothes or will be moved into another area of the arena." The policy "wasn't created to specifically target Chicago's faithful, who travel as well as or better than any NHL team's, but it was taken as a slight by their fans." However, the Lightning "can't restrict who buys tickets using online resale websites such as eBay, StubHub or Craigslist." StubHub Communications Specialist Cameron Papp said that Illinois residents so far make up 20% "of all tickets purchased for Game 1" on the site. He added that it "far outpaces the norm; the home state of the visiting squad usually accounts for only" 5-8% of sales (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 6/2).
THE MAN WITH THE PLAN: In Tampa, Tom Jones profiles Lightning VP & GM Steve Yzerman, who has "brought something" with him to the front office "from his playing days: Overwhelming success." Yzerman took over a franchise "foundering near the bottom of the league," and "came in and made sweeping changes." It was Yzerman who "built this team." Jones: "This is a franchise that appears set to be a contender for years and he is the architect" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 6/2).
THIS COULD BE FUN: ESPN’s J.A. Adande said Blackhawks-Lightning is a great Stanley Cup Final matchup “for hockey fans.” He said, "You might not have the big markets, but you do have the top-scoring team in the regular season in Tampa Bay -- both teams have been in the top four in playoff scoring -- and of course, Chicago with all that Cup experience. It should be a great series.” The Denver Post's Woody Paige said, “You’ve got two exciting, fast teams.” ESPN’s Pablo Torre said the “aesthetics of this series is what I like even more than the branding of the upstart versus the established.” Both teams are “offensively minded” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 6/1).
