The Commissioner of the National Hockey League has followed through with his vague promise from the 2025 NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. The Florida Panthers announced they would host the New York Rangers in the 2026 Winter Classic at LoanDepot Park, home of the MLB’s Miami Marlins. Their intra-state rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced they would host the Boston Bruins in the 2026 NHL Stadium Series at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It’ll be the southernmost outdoor event the NHL has attempted since successfully pulling off the 2020 NHL Winter Classic in Dallas, Texas. Unlike the Cotton Bowl Stadium, LoanDepot Park has some flexibility with the weather thanks to a retractable roof. There’s a high chance the roof will be used for a hockey event given that the temperature in Miami on January 1st, 2025 reached a high of 81°F (27°C ).
The Panthers organization will take part in their first Winter Classic and outdoor event. This is quite different from their opponent, the Rangers, who have already participated in two Winter Classics and three Stadium Series games.
Traveling northwest to Tampa Bay, the Lightning will play in their second Stadium Series contest in franchise history after defeating the Nashville Predators in 2022 at Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. Like their in-state counterpart, it’ll be the first time the Lightning have hosted an outdoor event in franchise history.
Unfortunately, unlike the stadium amenities at LoanDepot Park, Raymond James Stadium does not have a roof and is exposed to the elements. Tampa is relatively milder than Miami in terms of heat, but still recorded a high of 64°F (18°C) in February of 2024 which could make the ice conditions more unpleasant.
Finally a team worth watching at LoanDepot Park.
I feel like any team playing in a park named after “LoanDepot” is a loser no matter what their record is.
There should be one outdoor game a year. It should be treated like a major event. Ratings are dropping for good reason.
Agreed! I saw the first one, Edmonton and Montreal, It was pretty cool, But now, It’s just a huge money grab for the league, It’s become a silly novelty.
As a Bruins fan, I was pumped to see the news today and can’t wait to go. Maybe it doesn’t do anything for the rest of the league, but I can personally say it’s very exciting for the fanbase of any teams playing in it.
The Kings and Flames indoor game tonight has been postponed because of all the flames!
Miami will have 37 people show due to “traffic” and TB will most likely be a rainout.
What are they doing here? Maybe have two teams play in an internal spot close enough for fans to travel but in a city that could potentially in an NHL team in the future? Two outdoor games in Florida.. get outta here with that.
Neutral spot*
A rainout in January or February in Tampa?!? It doesn’t rain during that time of year in Tampa nor in Florida really.
The outdoor games will be fine in Florida. Both matches up are vastly better than the Blackhawks v. Blues match up at Wrigley. What’s worse neither team was worth watching.
I can’t say the Panthers will be a sellout, they can hardly fill home games during the season. The Lightning will definitely be a sellout since every home game for them has been a sellout since March of 2015.
You do realize this ballpark has a retractable roof, right?
Outdoor games should be once every 5 years. It’s more than lost its spark.
Is it really an outdoor game if the roof is closed? Will the commentators talk with the players about the memories of playing on the pond as a kid when it was 70 degrees outside but the town had built a roof over the pond so they could play in summer?