NHL announces Tampa Bay will host 2018 All-Star Game

Gary Bettman address the media about the state of the NHL before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The NHL’s top talent will be converging on Amalie Arena next year.

The Tampa Bay Lightning will host the 2018 NHL All-Star Game, commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed on Monday in his annual state of the league address.

The mid-season showcase will take place on Saturday, January 27 and Sunday, January 28.

“We’re looking forward to bringing all of the festivities attendant to All-Star Weekend to Amalie Arena and the Tampa Bay area,” Bettman said. “The All-Star Weekend in Tampa will embrace the community inside and outside of the arena, and it should be fun with the Florida weather and Gasparilla festivities that weekend.”

“We are thrilled to host the 2018 NHL All-Star Game at AMALIE Arena,” said Jeff Vinik, Chairman and Governor of the Tampa Bay Lightning, in a press release. “We’ve worked hard over the past several years to transform Tampa Bay into a hockey market. The honor of hosting the All-Star game validates that work, but it’s not the end of our efforts. We pledge to work alongside the NHL as well as leaders across Tampa Bay to deliver a world class experience for All-Star players, fans and partners.”

The All-Star Game was held in Tampa back in 1999, the last time the city played host to one of the league’s major events.

[relatedlinks]

When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.