Lightning to Honor Sled Hockey on Sunday
Photo by Carl Wagenfohr TAMPA - Sunday March 29th will be Sled Hockey Night at the St Pete Times Forum, when the Lightning face the Ottawa Senators at 6 pm. Sled hockey was invented at a Swedish rehabilitation center in the early 1960s by a group of people who, despite their physical impairment, wanted to continue playing hockey. The sport caught on and in 1969 Stockholm hosted the first international ice sled hockey match between a local club team and one from Norway. Sled hockey became an official event at the 1994 Lillehammer Paralympic Winter Games. In 2006 the Lightning became the first NHL team to organize and fully sponsor a sled hockey team. Tampa Bay Lightning Sled Hockey, presented by C&E Information Services, has hosted regular clinics at the St. Pete Times Forum, providing equipment and instruction for participants. For the first time, a Lightning Sled Hockey practice will be open to the public at the Forum. Following the conclusion of the Lightning-Senators game on Sunday, fans will be invited to stay and watch these disabled athletes perform. The Lightning Sled Hockey team recently participated in their first full-team tournament, returning from the Buffalo, NY, event with a record of 2 wins and 2 losses. Tickets for Sunday's Lightning game and Sled Hockey exhibition start at $15, and are available at the St Pete Times box office or Ticketmaster.
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