from James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail,

Not an overly large or wealthy city, Tampa has nonetheless shown it doesn’t belong on a list of the league’s problem children, such as Arizona or Florida.

There’s even an argument to be made the Lightning have become the sport’s model non-traditional market franchise. While revenues remain fairly low, they are growing. Tampa has had the highest two-year ticket-price increase in the league, putting it in the same conversation with more established “hockey” cities such as St. Louis and Denver.

The room for growth also remains massive, especially if the Lightning can win a second Stanley Cup 11 years after the first.

“You wouldn’t know [in Canada],” said (Brad) Richards, who is excited at the prospect of four new ice sheets being built just north of the city. “I tell people all the time it’s probably a top three place to play in the NHL. I really believe that. And that’s before what’s happened here the last couple years [with the team’s rise up the standings].

“There’s a lot of people from up north that live down here. There’s a lot of people that do follow hockey. Once the product on the ice is good, they come. They love going to the games. They love catching playoff hockey. It’s a great city.”

It’s also turning into a hockey city, bit by bit.

more