Tampa Bay Lightning players to start wearing sustainable uniform, Amalie Arena gets new technology

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Tampa Bay Lightning will raise their Stanley Cup banner at Tuesday night’s home opener. The team will host the Pittsburg Penguins as they begin their quest for a three-peat.

Fans have been buying Bolts gear non-stop to show their pride for the Stanley Cup champions.

“A lot of our stuff that indicates ‘Back-to-back’ or ‘Lightning strikes twice’ those are the items that are really flying off the shelves and people are very excited about. You know, winning in 2020 was really awesome and all of the Stanley Cup merchandise was a huge part of their buying. In 2021, obviously, if you go back-to-back it just is more storytelling and it’s just a very unique thing and people want to memorialize that,” Amalie Arena event manager Kevin Preast told 8 On Your Side.

Fans will also be able to purchase the new jersey that players will wear Tuesday night.

The jersey is sustainable and part of Adidas’ effort to “End Plastic Waste”.

This season marks the first time all 32 NHL teams will wear jerseys made from recycled materials.

“We’re in a very unique community because we’re in the world’s largest water playground. Having sustainability and making sure that our waters are clean and we have a healthy environment for our beaches and all that stuff, yah. Quite frankly, there’s no price point change it’s a back end fulfillment where organizations are being more responsible to our environment and to our planet,” Preast explained.

If fans want to get their hands on the new jersey or any other Bolts merchandise, a new feature set up inside the arena will allow them to make the purchase without leaving their seats.

Amalie Arena is the first sporting venue in the country to launch ‘Fast’ checkout, a program designed to streamline purchases at games and events.

“The quickness of the technology for our fans. Literally sitting there, scanning a QR code and you’re cued up with one click, single purchase — not having to go through the usual buy flows that we’re used to with logging in and taking several steps to purchase an item,” said Vinik Sports Group Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer Jarrod Dillon

Guests can scan one of the QR codes placed on the cupholders at the arena to purchase gear instantly.

Dillon tells 8 On Your Side the goal is to expand the program to ticket sales and possibly food ordering in the arena.