(Reuters) – Ice hockey may not evoke thoughts of beaches, sunshine and palm trees but that did not stop the NHL from announcing on Wednesday that, for the first time, it will hold outdoor games in Florida next season.
The Florida Panthers will host the New York Rangers in the Jan. 2 Winter Classic at the home of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins while the Tampa Bay Lightning will face the Boston Bruins in a Stadium Series game on Feb. 1, 2026 at the home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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.
“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,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a news release.
“Outdoor NHL games in the Sunshine State? Never let it be said that our league isn’t willing to accept a challenge.”
In the more than 30 years since the NHL expanded into Florida both franchises have enjoyed significant success, most recently with each of the last five Stanley Cup Final series featuring one of the Florida franchises.
Outdoor games have become a staple of the NHL’s regular season schedule with contests being staged in some of baseball’s and American football’s most iconic stadiums.
The NHL has even held outdoor games in warm-weather climates before, notably Los Angeles, Dallas and Nashville.
This 2024-25 NHL season’s Winter Classic was held on Dec. 31 in Chicago while Columbus will host a Stadium Series game in March.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Toby Davis)
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