MIAMI — 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 — 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,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “Outdoor NHL games in the Sunshine State? Never let it be said that our league isn’t willing to accept a challenge.”It’s a long time coming, but the Panthers and Lightning have represented the Eastern Conference in each of the last five Stanley Cup Finals and they’ve built heavily engaged fan bases. And both franchises have asked the NHL to bring an outdoor game — or two, in this case — to the Sunshine State for many years.The league listened.“To be able to celebrate these two franchises against great Original Six teams, I think, is phenomenal,” Panthers President Matthew Caldwell said. “And I think our time has come. We deserve that outdoor game and we’re fired up to have it right here locally.”The Marlins’ ballpark, located about a 45-minute drive south of the Panthers’ home arena in Sunrise, can hold about 37,000 fans. 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 …
