The 2026 NHL Winter Classic is coming to Florida and the Panthers will be hosting the NHL’s 44th regular-season outdoor game, on Friday at 8 p.m., when they play the New York Rangers.
Well, kind of outdoors. The game will be held at loanDepot park – but the retractable roof will be open.
It’s the first of two NHL regular-season outdoor games scheduled for the 2025-26 season – with the Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the other – and a fan festival will be held before they drop the puck in South Florida.
All Winter Classic ticket holders will be able to attend the 2026 Enterprise NHL Pre-Game starting at 2 p.m., in West Lot 3 and the West Plaza at 1680 NW 5th Street in Miami. Hockey fans will get to participate in fun interactions and experiences, including family-friendly hockey interactives, giveaways, food, an NHL on TNT concert on the Verizon Stage, and a special appearance by the oldest and most revered trophy in sports – the Stanley Cup – won by the Panthers the last two seasons.
Also, “NHL on TNT Face Off” – with Wayne Gretzky, Paul Bissonnette, Anson Carter, and Liam McHugh – will have pregame coverage live on-site beginning at 7 p.m., and returning after the final horn for postgame reaction and analysis.
The Panthers-Rangers matchup will be the first NHL outdoor game staged in Florida. The game will be broadcast on TNT, HBO Max and truTV in the U.S. and on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada.
A limited number of tickets to the Winter Classic are still available via Ticketmaster.
Here are some pre-game fan interactive activities
Facts, figures on NHL Winter Classic
NHL Winter ClassicNew York Rangers at Florida PanthersloanDepot park, MiamiJan. 2, 8 p.m.TNT, HBO Max, truTV
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: NHL Winter Classic: Hockey tradition at Miami’s loanDepot park in 2026
Reporting by Nick Pugliese, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
