For the second consecutive year, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a reservation in the Stanley Cup Finals. And the Lightning faithful are ready for the series to start.
The Tampa Bay Sports team store in Amalie Arena opened at noon on Monday, and shoppers piled in looking for new merchandise. There were long-time fans and recent Tampa transplants, all excited.
“We’re here for the Stanley Cup in our hometown. It doesn’t get any better than this,” said 27-year-old James Kellner, who was born and raised in Tampa but now lives in Georgia.
“(My) family caught the Lightning fever,” said 38-year-old Rob Guglielmo, who just moved to Tampa with his family about 18 months ago.
Everyone in the store was browsing new merch, but not everyone was interested in the new Stanley Cup Final gear.
Why?
“Superstitious. Don’t want to get anything that says finals or semifinals right now. Wait until we win the cup to say champions,” said Katie Owens, 38.
Game 1 of the series starts at 8 p.m. tonight at Amalie Arena against the Montreal Canadiens. Whether you’re going to every game or rooting from your couch, here’s a look at some new Lightning merchandise for the Finals.
Road 2 Repeat
The Lightning would be the first team since the 2016-17 Pittsburgh Penguins to repeat as champions, so a T-shirt highlighting the team’s quest is of extra significance. Below the larger font, you’ll see a checklist of the three opponents the Lightning have topped this postseason. The shirt sells for $26.99 on the Tampa Bay Sports website.
Stanley Cup Finals hat
If you’re looking for something new to pair with your Nikita Kucherov or Andrei Vasilevsky jersey this series, look no further. In addition to the front logo, there’s a Stanley Cup Final patch above the snapback to make this hat different from other regular season merchandise. The “History Awaits” phrase rounding out the front logo serves as an extra reminder that the Lightning are four wins away from leaving their name in NHL annals. Again. The hat goes for $34.99 on Tampa Bay Sports.
Stanley Cup Finals coin
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Explore all your optionsCollectors may be especially excited about this one, but the finish and intricate design make the Fanatics’ Stanley Cup Finals coin an attractive purchase for all. Only 5,000 of these coins were made, and you can see which number you have on the side. The coin costs $29.99 on Fanatics.
Series pennant
Need a dash of Lightning merchandise to spruce up a bedroom or office? The NHLSHOP.com is selling Stanley Cup Semifinal Champions pennants that can be a nice addition to an already decked-out wall of Lightning memorabilia or it can be a first. You can pick one of these up for $11.99.
BreakingT merch
You can choose from a number of Lightning inspired T-shirts, but the two that jump off the website’s page are the Kucherov and Brayden Point ones. Point is the leading goal-scorer in the playoffs and you can celebrate that by buying BreakingT’s “OnPoint” blue T-shirt ($28) or hoodie sweatshirt ($52). Another great option is the “Kuuuuuch” T-shirt ($28) or hoodie ($52). It’ll be especially satisfying when you wear it while Kucherov rips the puck into the back of the net. Check out both these shirts and more at https://breakingt.com/collections/tampa-bay.