Despite what some fans may think, the NHL still finds success with these outdoor games. Whether it is the Winter Classic or the Stadium Series, these games are still popular, especially for the region hosting the game. Just look at last year with the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field and the Stadium Series game between the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Outdoor Games Are Still Very Popular for the NHL
That Stadium Series game on the campus of Ohio State University, played inside the Horseshoe, drew record crowds and a record audience on television. A big reason was the playoff implications surrounding the Blue Jackets and Red Wings game. And for the most part, these games have been in traditional cold-weather cities.
However, there have been games played in Texas, Tennessee, and California. Now the NHL is being adventurous, bringing these outdoor games to Florida, the new state of hockey, next season. The Florida Panthers will host the New York Rangers in the Winter Classic on January 2nd, 2026, at Marlins Park. Then, a month later, the Tampa Bay Lightning will host the Boston Bruins on February 2nd, 2026, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
As Steve Mayer, the NHL’s President of Content & Events, told Jim Biringer of NHLRumors.com, the outdoor games that will be played next year in Florida involve the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. Mayer describes the uniqueness of each game and the challenges of building the rink and getting it ready for game day.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
NHL News: State of Florida to Host 2026 Winter Classic and 2026 Stadium Series
Jim Biringer: “Do you guys have designs already in place for these two games, for specifically for the Florida Panthers game and the Tampa Bay Lightning game? Because when I heard that you guys were going to two games in Florida, I said, Okay, I want to see these in person, because I want to see what they do, because every Stadium Series or Winter Classic Game is unique.”
Steve Mayer: “Yeah, these two are going to be as unique as we’ve ever done. Yeah, we do have designs. We’ve been to Florida. In fact, last week we were in Miami and in Tampa. We were working on it, and the entire team is motivated, activated and energized, ready to go. These are two of the more interesting games we’ve ever done, and you could just imagine why. There’s a slight risk, but we’re ready and willing to take it on.
Obviously, the Miami game is going to be different than the Tampa game. Miami, the stadium has a roof, so we’re able to build our rink and the ice in the comfort of, we’ll call it 50 degrees, because we’ll make it 50 degrees in the building, and it’ll be absolutely fine. And then day of the game, we’ll open up the roof and we’ll play some hockey. In Tampa, it’s going to be much different than Florida or Miami. I should say, in Tampa, we’re building essentially a tented warehouse to build the rink underneath, inside the stadium, inside Raymond James.
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So we’ll build this warehouse structure first, then we’ll build the rink underneath it, and then on the day of the game, we will literally deconstruct this facility, the warehouse, and we will play hockey. And the risk, of course, in Florida, is the weather, not only the heat, but rain, which they’ve been known to get.
But we’re obviously going to take some chances, and we think we’ll be successful. We’re putting ourselves in the best position to be successful, and it’s going to be a great story. The content that’ll come out of there, it’ll be very intriguing, to say the least.
And then, like, Florida is a hotbed for hockey, and I use the word hotbed, and I have to be careful of that, because I don’t want it to be too hot. But we’re going to sell out both of these games. The fan bases are, are just crazed for their teams. And these games, first time ever in Florida, first time ever for the Panthers to be in an outdoor game. So everything about it is awesome.
It’s going to be, it’s going to be quite the event. And in my world, that’s pretty cool when we can say it’s going to be quite the event.”
For years, fans in Florida wanted these outdoor games. Well, now they are going to get them, and the hockey world can’t wait to see what happens, and the NHL pulls it off.
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