Brandon's Ice Sports Forum Renamed TGH Ice Plex

TAMPA, FL — The Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, the official training facility of the Tampa Bay Lightning, has a new name.

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced that Tampa General Hospital is the new naming rights partner for the Ice Sports Forum, 10222 Elizabeth Place off Falkenburg Road. As such, the forum is now known as the TGH Ice Plex.

To celebrate the new partnership, the TGH Ice Plex is inviting fans to a free public skate event on Friday, Feb. 7 from 3 to 4 p.m. Complimentary refreshments and free skate rentals will be provided. Space is limited and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP to secure their space.

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Naming rights for the team's training facility is part of a multi-year partnership between the team and Tampa General Hospital that includes an in-ice logo at Amalie Arena.

"Our naming rights agreement made so much sense on so many levels. The TGH Ice Plex is a facility where families come to create great memories together and celebrate birthdays and milestones; where numerous high school and youth hockey programs compete; and where our world champion Tampa Bay Lightning practice," said TGH President and CEO John Couris. "From the TGH Ice Plex to our TGH Brandon Healthplex, providing East Hillsborough County with care from the finest medical staff in the Bay area, TGH is proud to support and be a part of this community. Providing world-class health care while supporting an active lifestyle is a keystone of TGH,"

"The Lightning are extremely proud to be extending our already long-standing partnership with Tampa General Hospital," Lightning CEO Steve Griggs said. "Tampa General is a pillar of the Tampa Bay community, and we're excited that they will be bringing their world-class name to our team's practice facility. We are confident that not just our hockey team, but everyone who visits to the TGH Ice Plex, will enjoy a heightened experience. The Lightning would like to thank Tampa General Hospital and Tom Bradley, owner of the TGH Ice Plex, for almost two decades of valued support."

"When we were approached with the idea of rebranding the Ice Sports Forum in a partnership with Tampa General Hospital, we said 'absolutely,'" said TGH Ice Plex owner Tom Bradley. "TGH is a first-class institution with a strong community presence. We are honored to be partnering with TGH and the Lightning. Through the team's grassroots efforts to expose and promote hockey in our community, coupled with their accessibility during practice and training sessions here at TGH Ice Plex, we see interest in hockey at an all-time high. The Lightning players training at the TGH Ice Plex is a very cool experience for our skaters as they compete on the same ice as the Bolts each day."

The TGH Ice Plex has served as the Lightning's practice facility since 1997. In 2018 the two signed a 10-year lease extension in conjunction with the building of a new team off-ice facility.

The Lightning's privately funded $6 million facility was completed in 2018 and created a world-class locker room and training facility for the team. The new facility is 18,000 square feet, whereas the previous space was only 5,500 square feet. The TGH Ice Plex also invested $500,000 on rink, glass and dasher board upgrades.

In addition to serving as the Lightning's training facility, the TGH Ice Plex is also instrumental in the team's community hockey efforts, hosting numerous on-ice camps and clinics throughout the year. The TGH Ice Plex has one of the highest adult hockey participation levels in the country with more than 100 teams in various leagues, including youth rec leagues and travel teams ranging from mini-mite to high school.