In January, the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon became known as the TGH Ice Plex. The change was announced by the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have been a partner with the facility since 1997, using it as its official training complex. Tampa General Hospital received the naming rights.
“Our naming rights agreement made so much sense on so many levels,” said TGH President and CEO John Couris. “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. 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 multi-year extension partnership deal between the team and Tampa General Hospital includes other elements, such as in-ice placement at Amalie Arena and signature consumer engagement and activation platforms.
“The Lightning are extremely proud to be extending our already long-standing partnership with Tampa General Hospital,” said Lightning Chief Executive Officer Steve Griggs. “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 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.”
In 2018, the Ice Plex and the Lightning signed a 10-year lease extension in conjunction with the building of a new team off-ice facility. In the same year, the Lightning’s privately funded $6 million facility was completed, creating a world-class locker room and training complex for the team.
The TGH Ice Plex also invested $500,000 at the time in the project on rink, glass and dasher board upgrades. The new facility is 18,000 square feet, whereas the previous space was only 5,500.
“When we were approached with the idea of rebranding the Ice Sports Forum in a partnership with Tampa General Hospital, we said, ‘absolutely.’ TGH is a first-class institution with a strong community presence,” said Bradley. “We are honored to be partnering with TGH and the Lightning. Through the team’s grass roots 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 facility hosts numerous onice 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 recreational leagues and travel teams ranging from mini-mite to high school.
The TGH Ice Plex is located at 10222 Elizabeth Pl, Tampa, FL 33619. Visit tghiceplex.com.
