The Tampa Bay Lightning will play a total of six preseason games in 2011 the team announced today. They will play their lone preseason game at the St. Pete Times Forum on Friday, September 23 against the Florida Panthers.

The Lightning will kick off their preseason schedule in St. Louis on Tuesday, September 20 when they take on the Blues at Scottrade Center. The Bolts and Blues will meet again the next night with the location being TBD. The game was originally scheduled to be played at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg and is being changed due to the franchise relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers.

Tampa Bay will then play a back-to-back set with Florida on Friday, September 23 at the St. Pete Times Forum and the next night at the BankAtlantic Center. The games will mark the first meetings between the intra-state rivals during the preseason since the 2005 season.

The Lightning will conclude the 2011 exhibition season with a pair of games in Quebec against the Montreal Canadiens. On Thursday, September 29 the Bolts will travel to the Bell Centre in Montreal for their first preseason appearance since 2006. On Saturday, October 1 the Bolts will take on the Canadiens in Quebec City, the province’s capital, at the Colisee Pepsi. The visit will mark the Lightning’s first game in Quebec City since April 29, 1995, a regular season game against the Quebec Nordiques. Tampa Bay lost that game, 4-1.

The following is the schedule of games for the Lightning’s 2011 preseason:

Date Time Venue Opponent Tuesday, September 20 7:00 p.m Scottrade Center (St. Louis, Missouri) St. Louis Blues Wednesday, September 21 7:00 p.m Amway Center (Orlando, Florida)**

Purchase Tickets St. Louis Blues Friday, September 23 7:30 p.m St. Pete Times Forum (Tampa, Florida) Florida Panthers Saturday, September 24 7:30 p.m BankAtlantic Center (Sunrise, Florida) Florida Panthers Thursday, September 29 7:30 p.m Bell Centre (Montreal, Quebec) Montreal Canadiens Saturday, October 1 7:00 p.m Colisee Pepsi (Quebec City, Quebec)** Montreal Canadiens

* All times Eastern and subject to change

** Lightning will serve as home team