hockey. outdoors. In Florida.
Next season, the NHL will make it happen twice.
The NHL announced Wednesday that the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers will play the New York Rangers in the Winter Classic on Jan. 2, 2026, at Rondepo Park in Miami (home of baseball’s Marlins). Boston Bruins Stadium Series game held at Raymond James Stadium on February 1, 2026.
“The Stanley Cup, back-to-back sellouts, and the exponential growth of youth and high school hockey across the state have proven that Florida is a hotbed for hockey,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
“An outdoor NHL game in the Sunshine State? “Never let it be said that our league is not willing to take on the challenge.”
It may be a long time coming, but the Panthers and Lightning have represented the Eastern Conference in each of the last five Stanley Cup Finals and have built highly engaged fan bases.
And both franchises have been asking the NHL to bring an outdoor game — in this case two — to the Sunshine State for years.
The league listened.
“I think it’s amazing to be able to celebrate these two franchises against a great Original Six team,” said Panthers President Matthew Caldwell. “And I think our time has come. We’re passionate about outdoor gaming, that it deserves to be enjoyed, and that it can be enjoyed right here in the region.”
The Marlins’ ballpark, located about a 45-minute drive south of the Panthers’ home stadium in Sunrise, can seat about 37,000 fans. Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, seats approximately 65,000 for most events and can slightly increase capacity if needed.
“We are thrilled that this groundbreaking event has finally arrived in Bolts Nation and the Tampa Bay community,” said Lightning CEO Steve Griggs.
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“This moment has been a long time coming and we are so excited to see this dream become a reality.”
This is not your typical outdoor game.
The highest temperature in Miami on January 2nd of this year was 78 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius).
The high temperature in Tampa on February 1 last year was 66F, or 19C.
Obviously those temperatures aren’t conducive to finding ice outside.
And according to the league, the previous highest game-time temperature for an outdoor game in NHL history was 65F (18C) for a 2016 game in Denver.
“We know it’s risky,” said Steve Mayer, the NHL’s president of content and events.
“I think we like it. And that’s not a challenge. “It’s actually an opportunity for us.”
The Marlins’ LoanDepot Park has a retractable roof, which will go a long way in making the stadium ready for hockey games. The air conditioning is running at full blast and the Panthers-Rangers game is played with the roof open at night.
For the Lightning-Bruins game at Tampa’s outdoor stadium, the NHL will construct a temporary roof over the ice surface and remove it hours before game time.
“We want to bring a little bit of winter wonderland to Florida,” Meyer said.
The 2026 games will be the 44th and 45th regular season outdoor contests in NHL history. The Rangers were 5-0-0 in their previous outdoor games, Boston had won four of five outdoor games and the Lightning had won their only outdoor game. The Panthers have never played a game like that.
“We get to expand our great sport,” said Bill Zito, Panthers general manager and president of hockey operations.
“We have the opportunity to have 100,000 people outside of Florida watching hockey live. “That is ridiculous.”
“And the exciting part, the fun part, is that it’s growing. It’s getting bigger. “More and more people are becoming hockey fans in Florida.”
© 2025 The Canadian Press
