The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the Bolts, and the nickname is used on their current third jersey. They play their home games in the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa.

The name "Tampa Bay" is often used to describe a geographic metropolitan area which encompasses the cities around the body of water known as Tampa Bay, including Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Bradenton. Unlike in the case of Green Bay, Wisconsin, there is no municipality known as "Tampa Bay". The "Tampa Bay" in the names of local professional sports franchises (Lightning, Rowdies, Rays, Bucs, etc.) denotes that they represent the entire region, not just Tampa or St. Petersburg.

In the late 1980s, the NHL announced that it would expand. Two rival groups from the Tampa/St. Petersburg area decided to bid for a franchise: a St. Petersburg-based group fronted by future Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes owners Peter Karmanos and Jim Rutherford, and a Tampa-based group fronted by two Hall of Famers—Phil Esposito and his brother Tony.

Tampa Bay is a large, natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay.

"Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality. This misconception probably stems from the naming of several professional sports franchises (including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rays, and FC Tampa Bay) whose names represent the collective Tampa Bay Area, the hub of which is the city of Tampa, Florida.

Approximately 6,000 years ago, Tampa Bay formed as a brackish drowned river valley typeestuary with a wide mouth connecting it to the Gulf of Mexico. Prior to that time, it was a large fresh water lake, possibly fed by the Floridan Aquifer through natural springs. Though the exact process of the lake-to-bay transformation is not completely understood, the leading theory is that rising seas levels following the last ice age coupled with the formation of a massive sink hole near the current mouth of the bay created a connection between the lake and the gulf.

Steven Stamkos (born February 7, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Stamkos was the first overall pick in the 2006 OHL Entry Draft, from the Markham Waxers of the OMHA. Playing with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League, he scored 100 goals over two years. After a successful OHL career, Stamkos was selected first overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has won two Maurice Richard Trophies as the league's leading goal-scorer (2010 and 2012), is a one-time NHL Second Team All-Star (2011) and has been named to two NHL All-Star Games (2011, 2012). Stamkos is known for being one of the most elite goal scorers in the league today.

Stamkos is of ethnic Macedonian and Scottish descent. He grew up in Unionville, Ontario, and played for the Markham Waxers in the Eastern AAA League of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA). During one of his seasons with the North York Canadiens, he was teammates with PK Subban. Before being drafted in the OHL, Stamkos attended Central Park Public School and Brother Andre Catholic High School in Markham, Ontario. After being drafted by Sarnia he attended Northern Collegiate Institute & Vocational School.

Radko Gudas (born June 5, 1990) is a Czech professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Norfolk Admirals in the American Hockey League (AHL). He was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 3rd round (66th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Gudas played in the Czech Extraliga with HC Kladno during the 2008–09 season.

Joseph Pavelski (born July 11, 1984) is an American professional ice hockey player now playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He scored a goal in his first NHL game, making him the 11th Sharks player in the history of the team to do so. He won a silver medal as a member of the United States national men's ice hockey team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Joe was born to Sandy and Mike Pavelski. His family is Polish American. His mother said: "He loved anything athletic, and hockey was just a good fit for the winter. You didn't realize that your son was that good.". Joe Pavelski is co-owner of the Janesville Jets NAHL team. His younger brother Scott currently plays for the University of New Hampshire men's ice hockey team "

Pavelski won a Wisconsin State Hockey Championship with SPASH (Stevens Point Area Senior High) Panthers in 2002. He was a member of the 2004 Clark Cup champion Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL. He won the 2004 USHL Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award