Lightning’s ticket rules may make Caps fans see red NHL PLAYOFFS

For the Capitals, a secondround playoff win over the Penguins encompassed two decades of expectations and disappointments, regular-season bliss and postseason heartache. Caps fans who endured every bump of that journey could now find that a trip to the Eastern Conference finals includes a couple more unexpected obstacles.

The Tampa Bay Lightning has amended its ticket policy for the next round of playoffs, barring anyone without a Florida ZIP code from buying tickets through the team or its official partner, Ticketmaster. The use of “geofencing” technology is not unheard of in the sports world — the Caps, in fact, similarly restricted single-game sales for their second-round series against the Penguins to residents of Washington, Maryland and Virginia — and fans can still explore the secondary market for tickets to Friday’s Game 1 at Amalie Arena.

“Orders by residents outside of Florida will be canceled without notice and refunds given,” the team says on its site.

Bill Wickett, the Lightning’s executive vice president of communications, said that the team sold out of its allotment of single-game tickets for the conference finals before the Caps had even wrapped up their series with the Penguins on Monday. The team has previously used same ZIP code restrictions in the playoffs, an effort to make sure Lightning fans are well-represented in their home arena.

Fans who have been saving their money for the past two decades and are able to get around the ZIP code restriction to spring for the priciest seats in Tampa will encounter another unique rule: The Lightning instituted a strict dress code for some parts of the arena during these playoffs, as they’ve done in recent years.

Arena staff won’t allow fans to rock the red in the Lightning’s Lexus Lounge, which includes seats against the glass, or in the Chase Club luxury suites. All told, the dress code affects about 10 percent of Amalie Arena seating, and is meant to ensure that only Lightning fans occupy some of the best seats in the house.

Any Caps fans who have seats in one of these areas will be required to wear “neutral apparel.” If they show up in Caps gear, the Lightning will offer a neutral-colored T-shirt instead. The measure was also in place during the Lightning’s second-round matchup against Boston, which drew both ire and snickers from Bruins’ faithful.

Wickett said that all the seats impacted by the dress code are held by season ticketholders and thus would only available on the secondary market.