Hockey. Outdoors. In Florida. Next season, the NHL is making it happen twice. The NHL announced Wednesday that the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers will play host to the New York Rangers at loanDepot Park in Miami on Jan.

Ice hockey rinks will join palm trees in sunny Florida next year when the NHL stages unprecedented outdoor games in Miami and Tampa, the league announced on Wednesday.

Bolts to Take on Bruins in Landmark Outdoor Game on February 1, 2026

home of Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins. Bettman also said next season's Stadium Series game will be played between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins on Feb. 1 at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "We've done 42 ...

The Panthers will host the Rangers at loanDepot park on Jan. 2, 2026, and the Lightning will host the Bruins at the Raymond James on Feb. 1.

How will the NHL pull off an outdoor game in Tampa? Just build it and they will come. The league is ready to embrace the risk of playing outside in the Sunshine State.

Traveling northwest to Tampa Bay, the Lightning will play in their second Stadium Series contest in franchise history after defeating the Nashville Predators in 2022 at Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. Like their in-state counterpart, it’ll be the first time the Lightning have hosted an outdoor event in franchise history.

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.

playing host to the New York Rangers on January 2 at the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins. In addition, the Tampa Bay Lightning will host the Boston Bruins in the NHL Stadium ...

FILE – The roof is open during an interleague opening day baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the Detroit Tigers, Tuesday, April 5, 2016, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) Lightning

MIAMI — Hockey ... 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 ...

Who would have thought you could play hockey outside in Florida? Next year, the Tampa Bay Lightning will hit the ice al fresco at Raymond James Stadium on Gasparilla weekend.