• Loading stock data...
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now

Breaking the Ice: NHL Plans Outdoor Games for Florida, Defying the Heat

The NHL will push the envelope farther than ever with its outdoor games in 2026.

Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The NHL will perhaps make its most radical statement yet with outdoor games in 2026, placing two contests in Florida.

The league has finalized plans to hold next year’s Winter Classic at Miami’s loanDepot park, home of MLB’s Marlins, between the defending champion Panthers and Rangers. A Stadium Series game, meanwhile, will be held at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Buccaneers, between the Lightning and Bruins.

In the 18-year history of NHL outdoor games, the league has previously gone to several warmer-weather locales, including Raleigh, Dallas, Nashville, and Santa Clara, Calif. But never before has the NHL pushed the envelope so far in the juxtaposition between the local climate and creating a pro-quality outdoor ice rink. 

Because of that, the league will install a temporary, climate-controlled structure within Raymond James Stadium that will house the rink during its construction. The roof of loanDepot park will be similarly closed during that rink build, but both games will be outdoors—in weather that could easily surpass 70 degrees. 

“The push with us is always to see what is unique, what is different, and what will raise the bar of our events calendar,” NHL chief business officer Keith Wachtel tells Front Office Sports. “It’s obviously not the easiest endeavor, but this definitely fits the bill, and it was definitely time to get to Florida with outdoor games.” 

Bigger Themes

The Florida push, meanwhile, seeks to tie into a pair of larger issues: the steady growth of grassroots hockey in the Sunshine State, and the unrelenting push of local officials there to bring outdoor games. 

Youth hockey registrations in Florida have increased by 212% between 1999 and 2024, and that steady groundswell has helped generate eight Florida-born players on NHL rosters this season, more than twice the number from a decade ago.

Local leaders, particularly in the Tampa area, have actively sought to bring an outdoor game to Florida. After the 2018 NHL All-Star Game held in Tampa, local officials constructed a billboard, thanking the NHL for bringing that event there and encouraging it to “next time, let’s go outside the box.”

“That, obviously, stayed with us, and there have been seven years of conversations about it since then,” Wachtel says. 

Timing Issues

The Winter Classic is set for Jan. 2, while the Stadium Series game in Tampa will be held Feb. 1, 2026, with both games to be held at night. The date for the Winter Classic, a Friday next year, again avoids New Year’s Day—once more a key day for college football with that sport’s expanded playoff. 

The Florida outdoor games were finalized long before this year’s Winter Classic posted its worst-ever ratings.

“There are going to be those narratives, but the game is about far more than just ratings,” Wachtel says. “We were absolutely thrilled with how this year’s event came together, including a record average ticket price, and we’re very much looking forward to taking it to another level in Florida.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

hard-knocks-2020

NFL Expands ‘Hard Knocks’ Pool of Teams: Who’s Eligible for 2025?

The NFL is relaxing rules surrounding its reality TV show.
Dec 27, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) skates during warm ups before their game against the Vegas Golden Knights at SAP Center at San Jose

Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks Rookies Have Brought Good Vibes to a..

The rookie’s arrival has boosted spirits incongruously high inside the flagging franchise.
Kelly Coleman, pro bat lead operator, inspects a torpedo bat after it comes out of a baseball bat lathe at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory in Louisville, Ky. on Mar. 31, 2025.

‘Torpedo’ Bat Sales Boom As Debate Rages About Effectiveness

Several manufacturers report historic interest in the much-debated bat design.

Featured Today

Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the first half Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Creator Behind the LeBron ‘Glazing’ Trend Sweeping TikTok

FOS spoke to TikTok user OkaySpade who made the original song.
Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; McNeese State Cowboys manager Amir Khan before a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Amica Mutual Pavilion
April 1, 2025

Inside the 24-Hour NIL March Madness Deals

Some of the most viral partnerships come together overnight.
Seattle Kraken
April 1, 2025

Samantha Holloway Is Seattle’s NHL Present—and Hopeful NBA Future

Samantha Holloway is steering the Kraken and hoping to revive pro hoops.
Brehanna Daniels
March 31, 2025

NASCAR Pit Crew Member Brehanna Daniels Didn’t Know She’d Be a Trailblazer

The first Black female tire changer didn’t know she’d be a trailblazer.
Jessica Pegula

Jessica Pegula on Tennis: Pay, Saudi Deals, and Women’s Sports Boom

Pegula wants tennis players to receive more prize money.
April 1, 2025

Goodell, Owners Signal 18-Game NFL Season Is Coming—Eventually

The idea of a longer schedule ties into several other league initiatives.
Los Angeles Golf Club owners Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams cheer for their team against the New York Golf Club during the TGL semifinal match at SoFi Center on March 17, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
exclusive
April 1, 2025

Alexis Ohanian Bid on NFL Flag Football, Serena Williams Exploring Franchise

Ohanian is the first known bidder for the flag football leagues.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
Laney-Hamilton
April 1, 2025

WNBA Champion Missing Season Shows Risks and Kinks of Unrivaled

The Liberty have six weeks to make a decision on Betnijah Laney-Hamilton.
Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; The NFL shield logo at midfield during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena.
April 1, 2025

NFL’s Global Ambitions Now Extend to Abu Dhabi

Three teams gain marketing rights to the United Arab Emirates.
April 1, 2025

NFL Tush Push Vote Has Been Pushed

Owners table a vote on the highly debated quarterback sneak play.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton
March 31, 2025

Major Unrivaled Injury Hits WNBA

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton injured her meniscus at the new Miami league.