Tribune August 26th 2007

 Aug. 26--TAMPA -- Jay Feaster and John Tortorella addressed Lightning fans in front of a jam-packed Icons restaurant. The line to get an autograph from Marty St. Louis snaked nearly halfway around the concourse inside the St. Pete Times Forum and left many an article left unsigned. Kids waited in a Disney-esque line for a 30-second sled ride down a 50-foot slide lined with ice shavings.

But the impressive turnout of thousands who braved the sweltering summer heat Saturday to attend Lightning IceFest all came together at noon on the plaza for the main attraction of the day.

With a sea of people lined up around a red-carpeted area and eyes peered westward toward the large wall housing the parking garage, Tampa Bay's redesigned logo was unveiled as a 25-by-45 jersey was rolled down the side.

The new design, which was developed by Reebok in conjunction with team officials, features the words "Tampa Bay" in modernized, block letters along the top of the logo and a white lightning bolt down the center accented in blue and outlined in black. While the word "Lightning" was removed from the bottom part of the logo and patches of blue have been added to the sleeves, the stripes under the arms remained along with the patches on the shoulders featuring an outline of the state.

The road white jerseys will also feature the player's number on the front right chest area.

All in all, the new look isn't a drastic change from the original design that served the team for its first 14 seasons.

"We were looking to have more of an evolution [of the design]," said J.J. Stelter, a 1988 Clearwater High graduate who served as the senior designer for Reebok in charge of the redesign, which he said took about two years to finalize. "We had about two or three veins that we were working down, but ... we kind of knew what we wanted here so it was a question of tweaking it."

St. Louis, who donned the jersey earlier in the month while filming an ad for the NHL, likes the new look.

"I think it's a nice look, it's a little more modern while it still has the Lightning touch to it," he said.

Chris Gratton, who has donned just about every conceivable Lightning jersey in his now three tours of duty with the team, thinks the new logo will go over well with players and fans after getting his first look at the logo Saturday.

"I think it's very sharp, it's clean-lined and I think it's going to be very popular," he said. "It's a nice-looking jersey."

Fans didn't seem to mind the design either as shirts, hats, pennants and other merchandise featuring the new logo were quickly scooped up at an outside vending table.

Stafford Shaddy, 10, and Matt Merriman,13, were driven up from Sarasota so they could check out the new design and ended up leaving with a bag full of souvenirs.

"I like how if flows from black to blue and the lightning bolt has more color to it than just white," Merriman said.

Added Shaddy, "I like the new font and the colors. It's not too much different, but I liked it."

Adam Singleton, a seven-year season ticket holder from St. Petersburg who was decked out in a Dan Boyle jersey complete with black-and-white face paint with the No. 22 on his cheeks, may not have been enamored with the change but said it won't stop him from wearing the new digs.

"I have to admit, I'm kind of old school and I like the classic design and I would have liked to see them leave the lettering alone," Singleton said. "I miss the glitter a little bit, too.

"But I still like the team and the players that will be wearing the jersey and that's all that matters."

Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached

at (813) 259-7835 or eerlendsson@

tampatrib.com.

Credit: Tampa Tribune, Fla.