Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel may have a friendly Stanley Cup Final wager with his counterpart in Tampa, but he’s not impressed with the Lightning’s policy that requires a Florida address to purchase playoff tickets.
“Chicago Blackhawks supporters are known to be among the best in the NHL, and certainly we wish the Tampa Bay Lightning management would welcome Chicago fans to their city and not be afraid to let them into their arena for the Stanley Cup finals,” Emanuel said in a release, per the Tampa Bay Times.
“As mayor of Chicago, I welcome Tampa fans — and hockey fans from around the country — to fly to Chicago and enjoy our world-class hotels, restaurants, cultural attractions, and then go watch Stanley Cup hockey in Chicago.”
The policy has also drawn harsh criticism from those in the Chicago media.
The Lightning have defended the policy by saying they “don’t feel the need to apologize for doing our best to create a home atmosphere for our season ticket members and our team.”