At the Rink: Tampa Bay Lightning's Stanley Cup Banner Ceremony Serves as Reminder of Normalcy During Unusual Year Despite 35 years in the industry, VP of Game Presentation John Franzone still leads from the front By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor Tuesday, April 6, 2021 - 11:52 am
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The National Hockey League was the last of the four major American sports to host a non-bubble regular season. As fans gradually make their return to the seats, how is that affecting in-venue productions and digital content? Similar to At the Ballpark, On the Gridiron, and On the Hardwood, At the Rink will look at the operations of NHL organizations to see how their coping with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and adapting back to a sense of normalcy.
When the dust settled on last summer's NHL bubble, the Tampa Bay Lightning were the last team standing as Stanley Cup Champions. The organization had the honor of raising the banner to the rafters in front of their fans 25 games after the start of the season. Despite the wait, the ceremony was a positive sign of the gradual return to normalcy.
It was a long process, and normally it wouldn't take that long, but like everything else during this time, we did the best we could, says John Franzone, VP, game presentation, Tampa Bay Lightning. There's a cadence that's been established where you win your championship, you celebrate, and you move on, but we've almost had to celebrate in bits and pieces.
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Time to Celebrate: Fans Return for Stanley Cup Banner Ceremony on March 13 The franchise raised the Stanley Cup banner in front of fans on March 13.
The Lightning were able to experience parts of the pageantry that come with winning one of the hardest trophies in professional sports, including a boat parade in September and a small gathering of fans in October, but the bookend to a hard year's work was put on ice for the first two months of the new season. Due to rising cases of COVID-19 in the area before the start of the year, the franchise made the decision to play their first 10 games without any patrons in the stands. At the same time, Franzone and other executives mulled over what to do with their first championship banner since 2003-2004.
Back on January 13, we struggled to make the decision on when to do it, he says. They always say that championships are for the owners, rings are for the players, and banners are for the fans, but without fans, we had a lot of questions. Do we still do it? Do we wait until next season, but what happens if you don't or do win it again?
Contemplation and constant discussions led to the raising of the banner to about halfway to its apex on Opening Night against the Chicago Blackhawks - a move that would both recognize the team's accomplishment right away while also leaving the ultimate satisfaction of seeing it hit the ceiling until fans made their return. The in-house crew worked alongside the team of NBC to create a unique, broadcast-based moment for fans to witness the unveiling at home. Two months later to the day, close to 4,000 fans made their way to 401 Channelside Drive to finally celebrate this heralded squad before a 6-3 thumping of the Nashville Predators. on March 13.
We wanted to make it a fresh moment, so we asked [captain] Steven Stamkos to address the crowd, and he did it without a script and from the heart, continues Franzone. We revisited all of the video highlights from the championship run, so fans were able to relive it again. For the players, that was the last page before the book on the 2019-20 season closed.
A New Way of Thinking: Team Makes Logistical, Production Adjustments for Home Games The ceremony took place 25 games after the start of the season.
Aside from producing moments that are reserved for the champions, regular game days during the season have become a bit of a challenge. With COVID-19 restrictions and smaller crews that have been seen across the entire league, the Lightning are exercising all of their creative juices to make their in-game entertainment as interesting as possible. From an operational and logistical perspective, the crew is working in conditions that discourage close contact. It's allowed for an extremely safe environment, but throws a wrench in some of the traditional fan interactions and activations.
You've got to cook with what's in the fridge, says Franzone. We're not allowed on the ice and we can't put a contestant within six feet of our host, so you have to rethink a little bit of what we used to take for granted in the normal days.
From a production standpoint, these real-time, in-person spots are being reimagined in ways that accommodate the situation. For example, the team's pregame show, Lightning Hockey Night Live, usually resides in the main control room at Amalie Arena. To account for social distancing, the program's host was moved out of that space and onto a set that's located in the lower bowl. Other aspects of the show that require a multi-person staff and coverage of the entire arena have also been difficult to capture.
We tried to do a Simba Cam, but we're short a came
