First NHL game at Ice Palace
The Lightning hosted the Rangers on 10/20/1996 in the first NHL game at Ice Palace — Lightning opened the Ice Palace (now Amalie Arena) in Tampa.
1st
FIRST NHL GAME AT THIS ARENA
Track Every Benchmark International Arena Game You've Attended
Benchmark International Arena has been the Tampa Bay Lightning home in Ticket Timeline's data since October 20, 1996. Ticket Timeline tracks games you attended here, including nights whose tickets still say Ice Palace, St. Pete Times Forum, or Amalie Arena.
Moments Witnessed at Benchmark International Arena
Verified milestones and rare moments that actually happened in this building.
Jaromir Jagr reaches 500 career goals
Jaromir Jagr scored his 500th NHL goal in Washington's 5-1 win at Tampa Bay, etching his name into the sport's most celebrated scoring club.
31st
500 GOAL CLUB MEMBER
Lightning raise 2004 Stanley Cup banner
Lightning raised their 2004 Stanley Cup championship banner at pregame of a 5-2 win over Carolina Hurricanes; First Cup banner after the 2004-05 lockout delayed the 2004-05 home opener.
2004
CHAMPIONSHIP BANNER
Lightning retire St. Louis' No. 26
The Lightning raised St. Louis' No. 26 to the rafters in a pregame ceremony on jersey retirement night.
26
JERSEY RETIRED
Playoff marathon went to 5OT
The Lightning and Blue Jackets played 5OT in the 2020 qualifying round at the Toronto bubble — Brayden Point's winner, with Joonas Korpisalo's 85 saves — one of the longest Stanley Cup playoff games of the post-1967 era.
5OT
5+ OVERTIME PERIOD STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF GAME
Why track Benchmark International Arena attendance?
If your stub says Ice Palace, St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay Times Forum, or Amalie Arena, that is this same Tampa building — not a different arena. Benchmark International Arena is the later name. Lightning nights belong on the Tampa Bay Lightning game tracker. Expo Hall and the ThunderDome were different barns. Log those nights on the team page; this page holds the room those tickets share.
The printed name on a Tampa ticket has changed four times. Ticket Timeline matches Ice Palace, St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay Times Forum, and Amalie Arena tickets to the Lightning games you actually attended.
- Log Lightning home games you personally attended—not today's crowd count or a live scoreboard.
- Match tickets printed Ice Palace, St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay Times Forum, or Amalie Arena to this same venue.
- Keep Expo Hall and ThunderDome stubs on those earlier barns—not mixed in as this building.
- Count this building toward your wider NHL arena progress across every barn you've visited.
- Import old stubs, spreadsheets, or Gmail confirmations instead of retyping every date.
Benchmark International Arena at a glance
Key facts about the building—useful when dating an Ice Palace or Amalie Arena stub. All sourced from Ticket Timeline's verified Lightning team data.
- Lightning here since: October 20, 1996 in Ticket Timeline's data—printed Ice Palace at the start
- Current tenant: Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)
- Location: Tampa, FL, USA
- Printed names (same building): Ice Palace, St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay Times Forum, Amalie Arena, and Benchmark International Arena all refer to this Tampa arena
- Former homes (different buildings): Expo Hall through April 16, 1993; ThunderDome in St. Petersburg through April 27, 1996
Teams and leagues at Benchmark International Arena
Follow the teams and league context connected to this building.
Tenant teams
League hubs
What You Can Track at Benchmark International Arena
Once a Lightning game is in your timeline, Ticket Timeline surfaces the attendance story from your seats—not a league-wide feed.
Games You Attended Here
Log every Lightning game you were physically at in this building—matchups, dates, and scores tied to nights you actually had a ticket.
Players You've Seen Here
Ticket Timeline matches each attended game to real rosters, so the athletes you watched in this building become part of your personal record.
Milestones Witnessed Here
Surface career highs, records, and rare moments that happened while you were in these seats—not league-wide highlights you only saw on TV.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I track every Tampa Bay Lightning game I attended at Benchmark International Arena?
Yes. Ticket Timeline helps you track Lightning games you attended at this Tampa building—including nights whose tickets still say Ice Palace or Amalie Arena—along with the matchup, players, and moments tied to each game.
Can Ticket Timeline match tickets that say Ice Palace or Amalie Arena?
Yes. Ice Palace, St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay Times Forum, Amalie Arena, and Benchmark International Arena all refer to this same Tampa building under successive printed names. The venue context still maps here.
Is a ThunderDome ticket the same as Benchmark International Arena?
No. The ThunderDome in St. Petersburg was a different building. The Lightning's last ThunderDome game in Ticket Timeline's data is April 27, 1996, after Expo Hall through April 16, 1993. Nights at this Tampa building start October 20, 1996.
Can I see which players I watched at Benchmark International Arena?
Yes. Ticket Timeline matches each attended Lightning game to real box scores and rosters, so the players on the ice that night become part of your personal record—not just the final score.
Does Benchmark International Arena count toward my NHL arena progress?
Yes. Ticket Timeline helps you see arena progress across the Lightning and NHL games you've attended, so nights here contribute to which barns you've been to.
Does Ticket Timeline sell tickets?
No. Ticket Timeline does not sell tickets. It is a stat tracker for games you've already attended, built to help you explore the players, moments, and milestones you witnessed at Benchmark International Arena.
Start Tracking Your Benchmark International Arena Nights
Download Ticket Timeline to turn every Lightning game you attended at Benchmark International Arena into a lasting personal record.