For the first time in the event’s history, the Winter Classic will be held in South Florida. According to an announcement from the NHLthe league announced that the Florida Panthers will face the New York Rangers in the 2026 Winter Classic on January 2 at LoanDepot Park, which is the home of the MLB Miami Marlins
In addition to the Winter Classic, the Stadium Series will also be held in Florida in 2026. On February 1, 2026, the Tampa Bay Lightning will face the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium, the team’s home stadium. of the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Stanley Cups, sellout streaks and the exponential growth of youth and high school hockey across the state have demonstrated that Florida is a hockey hotbed,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “NHL outdoor games in the Sunshine State? Never suggest our league isn’t up for a challenge.”
The Lightning and Panthers have called the Sunshine State home since the early 1990s. The Lightning’s inaugural season was in 1992-93, while the Panthers made their NHL debut in 1993-94.
The last five Stanley Cup Finals have been against a team from the state of Florida, with the Panthers recently winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2024. Meanwhile, the Lightning have won three Stanley Cups in history of the team, including consecutively. rear crowns in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
The 2026 edition will mark the first time the Panthers have participated in the Winter Classic in team history, while the Rangers will participate in their sixth Winter Classic. The Rangers last appeared in the Winter Classic in 2018 when they recorded a 3-2 overtime victory against the Buffalo Sabers at Citi Field.
On the other hand, the Lightning will be participating in an outdoor match for the second time. Tampa Bay recorded a 3-2 victory against the Nashville Predators at Nissan Stadium in the 2022 Stadium Series. The Bruins will be playing in their sixth outdoor game and are 4-1 in outdoor games. Boston last played away in the 2023 Winter Classic, when they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 at Fenway Park.
The 2026 Winter Classic and Stadium Series matchups will be uncharted territory for the NHL. The Winter Classic has never been played in the southern region of the United States.
However, the Stadium Series has seen warmer temperatures become a factor in past outdoor games. In the 2021 Stadium Series, the Colorado Avalanche faced the Vegas Golden Knights in Lake Tahoe on February 20 in the afternoon, but ended up having to suspend play after the first period due to melting ice. ice after being exposed to the sun.
The match was postponed until 9:02 p.m. PT (12:02 a.m. ET) when the sun set, and did not end until around 10:50 p.m. PT (1:50 a.m. ET). The Avalanche won the game 3-2 thanks to star forward Nathan MacKinnon who had a goal and two assists.
