Amalie Arena is usually home to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but last night it hosted USA Hockey as they announced the 23 players named to the 2017-18 U.S. Women's National Team. Among the players named to the team is two-time Olympic Silver Medalist and seven-time World Champion Hilary Knight. She and several other women from the national team played ball hockey with some aspiring young athletes.
The team will take residence in Tampa starting in September as they prepare for the 2018 Olympics. “To have this kind of spotlight on us, this is big for us,” said Jay Feaster, the Lightning executive director for community hockey development.