NHL to Host Two Outdoor Games in Florida Next Season

For the first time in its history, the National Hockey League will host outdoor hockey in Florida, with the League staging two outdoor games in the Sunshine State during the 2025–2026 season.

The NHL announced Wednesday that the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers will play host to the New York Rangers at loanDepot Park in Miami — home of baseball’s Marlins — on Jan. 2, 2026, in the Winter Classic, with the Tampa Bay Lightning playing host to the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1, 2026, in a Stadium Series game.

“Stanley Cups, strings of sellouts and the exponential growth of youth and high school hockey throughout the state have demonstrated that Florida is a hockey hotbed,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “The Panthers and Lightning have told us repeatedly that they and their fans want this special experience.”

The Marlins’ ballpark, located about a 45-minute drive south of the Panthers’ home arena in Sunrise, can hold about 37,000 fans. loanDepot Park has a retractable roof and that will play a big role in getting that stadium ready for hockey. Raymond James Stadium — home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers — can hold about 65,000 for most events and capacity can be increased a bit if necessary; The Associated Press reports the NHL will build a temporary roof over the ice surface and remove it a few hours before game time.

The games in 2026 will be the 44th and 45th regular-season outdoor contests in NHL history. The Rangers are 5-0-0 in their previous outdoor games, Boston has won four of its five outdoor games and the Lightning prevailed in their only outdoor contest. The Panthers have never played such a game.

The Panthers captured their first Stanley Cup championship in 2024 while the Lightning have won three championships in their history, including back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021.

That success has inspired a generation of youth hockey players in the state. Ice hockey registration in Florida is up 212 percent over the 25-year span from 1999 to 2024, with the 21,199 registered players in the state last season. Girls’ hockey participation is up 16.1 percent year-over-year and up 56 percent over the past eight years.