Benchmark International Arena

Opened in 1996

About Benchmark International Arena

Benchmark International Arena is an NHL arena in Tampa, Florida. It opened in 1996. It was designed by Ellerbe Becket. It seats 19,204. Its current tenant is Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL), since 1997. It was formerly home to Toronto Raptors (NBA, 2021). By capacity it ranks 12th of 32 current NHL venues, counting only venues with a known capacity. On our ranked lists it ranks 221st oldest of 354 stadiums and arenas still in use and 5th for most name changes among 121 venues with 3 or more names. It has also been known as Ice Palace (1996–2001), St. Pete Times Forum (2002–2011), Tampa Bay Times Forum (2012–2013) and Amalie Arena (2014–2025).

Appears in

Photo of Benchmark International Arena
Photo by Miosotis Jade. License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Venue Information

Capacity

19,204

Source: Wikidata

Year Opened

1996

Address

401 Channelside Drive, Tampa, Florida 33602

Elevation

15 ft

5 m above sea level

Architect

Ellerbe Becket

Operator

Tampa Bay Lightning

Address derived from the venue's coordinates using data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence (ODbL).

Elevation of the venue's coordinates from USGS and NASA SRTM elevation data, via Open Topo Data.

Architect and operator credits from Wikidata.

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Teams

Home seasons at Benchmark International Arena by team, 1996–2026. Bars use each team's colors at the time; the table below lists every season.
Team League Years
Tampa Bay Lightning
While based here: 29 seasons · 1116-1111-79 regular season · 17 postseason trips
NHL · 1997–present
  1. Expo Hall 1993
  2. Tropicana Field 1994–1996
  3. Benchmark International Arena 1997–present
NHL 1997–present
Toronto Raptors
While based here: 1 season · 27-45 regular season · no postseason trips
NBA · 2021
  1. SkyDome 1996–1998
  2. Scotiabank Arena 1999–2020
  3. Amalie Arena 2021
  4. Scotiabank Arena 2022–present
NBA 2021

Records are each team's full-season results while it was based here, home and away games alike, from final scores. They are not records of games played at this venue.

NHL records count overtime and shootout losses as losses.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the capacity of Benchmark International Arena?

The capacity of Benchmark International Arena is 19,204.

When was Benchmark International Arena built?

Benchmark International Arena opened in 1996.

Who designed Benchmark International Arena?

Benchmark International Arena was designed by Ellerbe Becket.

Who operates Benchmark International Arena?

Benchmark International Arena is operated by Tampa Bay Lightning.

Who plays at Benchmark International Arena?

Benchmark International Arena is the home venue of Tampa Bay Lightning.

Where did the Toronto Raptors play before Benchmark International Arena?

Before moving to Benchmark International Arena in 2021, the Toronto Raptors played at Scotiabank Arena from 1999 to 2020.

Where did the Toronto Raptors play after Benchmark International Arena?

After leaving Benchmark International Arena in 2021, the Toronto Raptors moved to Scotiabank Arena in 2022.

Where did the Tampa Bay Lightning play before Benchmark International Arena?

Before moving to Benchmark International Arena in 1997, the Tampa Bay Lightning played at Tropicana Field from 1994 to 1996.

Sources

Where the facts on this page were read from. How VenueStats compiles them.

Historical Names

Benchmark International Arena

2026 - Present

Current

Amalie Arena

2014 - 2025

Tampa Bay Times Forum

2012 - 2013

St. Pete Times Forum

2002 - 2011

Ice Palace

1996 - 2001

Location

Coordinates: 27.9427, -82.4519
View on Google Maps

Nearby Venues

VenueYearsDistance
Pepin-Rood Stadium 1899–2002 1.0 mi
Phillips Field 1937–1967 1.1 mi
Raymond James Stadium 1998– 3.9 mi
Houlihan's Stadium 1967–1998 4.0 mi
George M. Steinbrenner Field 1996– 4.2 mi
Expo Hall 1976– 6.4 mi

Straight-line distance between the venues' coordinates.

References

Read more on Wikipedia

Every source for the facts on this page is listed under Sources.

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