There was hockey weather in Tampa for Sunday’s game.
TAMPA, Fla. — The question, since the NHL announced it would be bringing the Stadium Series to Tampa, was: Can Tampa handle an outdoor game?
It’s a question many thought would have us worried about the ice — but it turns out the real challenges Sunday were for those in the stands today.
As fans saw temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s, Tampa clearly knew the NHL needed hockey weather for Sunday’s game between the Lightning and Bruins at Raymond James Stadium.
Fans arrived at the fan fest outside of the stadium starting at 1 p.m. Sunday, bundled up with plenty of layers to warm themselves ahead of cheering on their team inside the stadium.
Some fans practiced their own shots, while others jumped around at a concert. Some even participated in a human claw machine.
“I just think about the boys and how they’re gonna play really hard tonight, and I knew that if they’re gonna play as hard as they are today in our first Tampa Bay Lightning outdoor game, I had to show out here too,” said Barbara Skopalova, who participated in the claw machine.
The chilly temperatures didn’t deter faithful Lightning fans from supporting their team in a one-of-a-kind experience at the home of the Buccaneers.
“It’s great hockey weather,” Skopalova said. “We’ve got a hockey state, baby. We’ve got to enjoy it.”
But the Bruins fans who made the trip from Boston were pleased to see the weather, saying it reminded them of home.
“Home-ice advantage,” one Bruins fan said. “That’s what it becomes now.”
Bolts fans will hope a little cold doesn’t play too much into Boston’s favor.