James Atama
In 2026, the Florida Panthers, donning red, and the Tampa Bay Lightning, in white, will each host NHL outdoor games in the warm climate of Florida. The 2026 NHL Winter Classic will see the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, face off against the New York Rangers on January 2 at the home field of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins.
Additionally, the Tampa Bay Lightning will host the Boston Bruins in the NHL Stadium Series on February 1, 2026, at Raymond James Stadium, home to the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Outdoor NHL games in the Sunshine State? Never let it be said that our league isn’t willing to accept a challenge,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said.
“The Panthers and Lightning have told us repeatedly that they and their fans want this special experience… we will stage a month-long celebration of hockey throughout Florida that will culminate in Tampa.”
The Lightning, which began play in the 1992-93 season, were the NHL’s first team in Florida, followed by the Panthers the next season. Both Florida teams have appeared in the last five Stanley Cup finals, with the Panthers clinching their first title in 2024 and the Lightning winning in 2020 and 2021.
The Rangers boast a perfect record of 5-0-0 in outdoor games, while the Panthers will be making their outdoor game debut. The Bruins have a 4-1 record in outdoor games, and Tampa Bay’s only previous outdoor match ended in a 3-2 win against Nashville in 2022.
These events will be the 44th and 45th outdoor games in NHL history.
The venue in Miami has a retractable roof, and previously, the NHL has managed to play outdoors in temperatures up to 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius), as seen when Detroit beat Colorado 5-3 in Denver in 2016.
“In Miami, we have every intention of playing with the roof open, but the retractable roof gives us some options and helps protect our rink build,” said Dean Matsuzaki, NHL executive vice president of events. “In Tampa, the venue is open air and the rink build is much more exposed.”
Following the Miami game, the only team yet to participate in an NHL outdoor contest will be the new franchise in Utah.
“This is something we have wanted for a long time,” Panthers president Matt Caldwell said. “The last five years, the Stanley Cup has gone through Florida — and hopefully we make it a sixth this year. I think our time has come and we deserve to be in an outdoor game.”
