Pinellas Park, Lightning Celebrates Opening Of New Outdoor Rink

PINELLAS PARK, FL — As the NFL football season winds down, Pinellas Park kids are ready to move straight into hockey with the completion of the city's new outdoor hockey rink, courtesy of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

On Saturday, representatives of the city and the Tampa Bay Lightning held a grand opening ceremony for the newest outdoor hockey rink in Tampa Bay.

Located at Youth Park, 6755 N.62nd St., Pinellas Park, the rink is the ninth of 10 community hockey rinks pledged by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the five-county Tampa Bay area as part of the Lightning's Build the Thunder 2.0 and Connect the Thunder initiatives.

Among those on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony were Lightning Vice President of Community Hockey Development Jay Feaster along with Bolts alum, 2004 Stanley Cup champion Jassen Cullimore, Pinellas Park Mayor Sandra Bradburry and leisure services administrator, Keith Sabiel Jr.

"We are extremely excited about this new endeavor and appreciate the partnership and generosity of The Lightning Foundation," said Sabiel. "This addition will serve our local youth and those in neighboring communities."

The rinks are approximately 120 by 60 feet and include a full dasher-board system. The Lightning Foundation also donated hockey gear for participants including hockey sticks, balls, goal nets, pinnies and protective goalie gear.

On Oct. 25, 2017, the Lightning announced its plan to build 10 outdoor ball hockey rinks across the five-county footprint of Tampa Bay by the year 2020. That included plans for a centralized Lightning Made Training Center, 6910 Asphalt Ave Unit B, Tampa, which is already open next to Power Pole Arena, home of Xtra Ice in Tampa, headquarters of the Lightning's Community Hockey Department.

These new rinks are designed to bring the game into local communities, allowing Tampa Bay's new young hockey players a place to train, whether it is at the grassroots level or in organized leagues and tournaments.

The NHL and NHLPA have lauded the Lightning's community hockey development efforts under the guidance of Feaster, 2004 Stanley Cup Champion general manager, encouraging teams across the entire 31-team league to develop similar programming aimed at growing the game and its fan base at the grassroots level.

See related stories:

• Hockey Anyone? Lightning Opens 2 Ball Hockey Rinks In Pasco
• Street Hockey Rink Gets Facelift Thanks To Lightning
• Are You A Budding Bolt? Lightning To Host Summer Camps
• Lightning To Break Ground On Outdoor Hockey Rink In Oldsmar
• Opening Of BOLTSmar Street Hockey Rink Set On Saturday
• Lightning To Fund Street Hockey Rink In Pinellas Park