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Lightning

They don't take the Lightning lightly

The end of the NHL lockout gives hockey fans and bar owners a reason to celebrate.

By BRIAN WHITE and JANET ZINK
Published July 14, 2005

	Goodbye lockout, hello Lightning Gary Shelton: Even better? Q&A: The lockout What they're saying Lockout chronology Stanley's '04 summer tour Back to the Ice Will the new agreement make it harder for the Lightning to defend their Stanley Cup crown? Yes, re-signing all the players will be difficult with the new cap No, the players will want to return to defend the championship Don't know yet

TAMPA - The yearlong lockout of National Hockey League players left many fans and downtown businesses out in the cold.

Well, it actually left them out in the heat. But either way, they are glad to see the end of the squabble that delayed the Tampa Bay Lightning's chance to defend its 2004 title.

The team's Game 7 win over the Calgary Flames on June 7, 2004, was the last time a professional hockey game was played, and local fans can't wait for the first puck to drop this October.

Peter Armstrong, who moved to Tampa from Calgary, Alberta, six years ago, said the loss of an entire season was "devastating." When he heard Wednesday morning that there had been a settlement, he immediately went to the Lightning's Web site to look for season tickets.

"I went to every Stanley Cup game, every playoff game last year," said Armstrong, who runs Sunera, a business-consulting firm in Tampa.

Despite growing up in Canada as a fan of the Flames, Armstrong gave his allegiance to the Lightning when he moved to Tampa.

"My Canadian friends couldn't believe it," he said. "They assumed I would be cheering for Calgary."

The lockout cut off a reliable source of revenue for many bars and restaurants downtown, said David Magione, manager of the Hattrick bar on Franklin Street. Bars would fill with fans before and after the home games at the St. Pete Times Forum. And during away games, people would come to watch on television with other fans, Magione said.

Magione, 28, is a hockey fan, and he said he expected other fans to come back to the game, though losing an entire season might "leave a sour taste in their mouths." "The only people who benefitted from the lockout happening were the owners," he said. "They were the ones who could afford it."

He said Hattrick was not hurt too badly by the lockout. Lunchtime customers from downtown offices and conventions helped soften the impact. But he said hockey season always brings in a lot of weeknight customers on what would otherwise be slow nights.

Kirk Johnson, manager of the Hooters on Channelside Drive near the Times Forum, said his restaurant experienced a 25 to 30 percent drop in business as a result of the season's cancellation.

Other bar owners also looked forward to the games resuming. "We're glad it's over with," said Thomas Newkirk, owner of Newk's Cafe, a restaurant and bar across from the Times Forum. "It's been a long dry spell. We're anxious to kick it back open. The fact that hockey is starting again is great news."

The restaurant opened specifically to cater to people attending events at the Times Forum, Newkirk said. Hockey season practically guaranteed capacity crowds at the restaurant at least 50 nights a year. Newk's has been closed for the past six weeks for renovations but is scheduled to reopen at the end of August.

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio said she expects the fans to pick up where they left off, which will be good for businesses in the Channel District.

"It's great for the local economy, but even more so it's good for the spirit," Iorio said. "People like having these activities."

Even fans who don't go to the games watch them on television in sports bars or at home, often hosting hockey parties, she said.

"It's a festive atmosphere that's important to the community," she said.

Brian White can be reached at bwhite@sptimes.com or 813 226-3354.

[Last modified July 14, 2005, 00:30:10]