The 2026 NHL Winter Classic has arrived, as the National Hockey League’s annual New Year’s outdoor game is back yet again.
This year’s event takes place on Jan. 2. On the surface, it presents as a bit oxymoronic this year. That’s because, for the first time in the 17-year history of the game, the NHL Winter Classic will take place in the Sunshine State. Not only that, but it will also be the southernmost regular-season game in NHL history, with Miami hosting the matchup between the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers.
Thus, a bit of an explanation may be needed to convey how an ice hockey game can take place at a location which has an average high temperature of 76 degrees Fahrenheit on Jan. 2.
As the NHL has done in the past for outdoor games, the league is bringing in extra cooling systems to bring the temperature down to roughly 50 degrees inside LoanDepot Park, the venue that will host the NHL Winter Classic 2026. The stadium, which is home to Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins, also has a retractable roof, so that will further help with temps for the 8 p.m. local time puck drop.
As for the history of these franchises in regard to outdoor games, the Rangers have the overwhelming edge. They are 5–0, all-time, in outdoor NHL games, and no team has a better record in such contests, and with the sixth matchup coming, only the Chicago Blackhawks will have played in more outdoor games (seven). For the Panthers, this is their debut in the outdoors, which will leave the Utah Mammoth as the only franchise to have not participated in an outdoor game.
This season, the two teams bring similar records into the 2026 Winter Classic, with Florida (21–15–3) having 45 points and New York (19–18–5) having 43 points. The Rangers have dropped three games in a row and are 4–9 over their last 13 contests, while the Panthers have the inverse record of 9–4 over their last 13. This will be the squad’s first meeting of this season, but Florida went 2–1 versus New York in each of the past two seasons. That’s in addition to defeating the Rangers, 4–2, in the 2024 Eastern Conference Final on the way to the first of two straight Stanley Cup Finals wins.
In net for the Panthers will be Sergei Bobrovsky, who leads the NHL with 17 wins on the season. The 37-year-old will make history as soon as the puck drops on Friday, as his only other outdoor NHL game came in 2012 Winter Classic when he was with the Philadelphia Flyers. The 14 years in between outdoor game appearances will break the current record of 12 years held by Jordan Staal and Andrei Markov.
Speaking of goaltenders, New York’s Jonathan Quick, if he gets into the game, would tie the NHL goalie record with four outdoor game appearances. If Quick isn’t in net, then it will be Igor Shesterkin as the last line of defense, and the Russian is leading the NHL in saves for the second straight season. However, the latter hasn’t had the best go of things against Florida, losing five straight starts to the Panthers, allowing 2.8 goals over that stretch.
The Rangers got a huge boost on Wednesday when Adam Fox was activated off injured reserve after missing 14 games, and he made an immediate contribution with both a goal and assist in New York’s 6–3 loss to the Washington Capitals. Fox ranks in the top 10 in assists per game this season, and he still leads the Rangers in takeaways this year despite missing one-third of the season.
These two teams have typically engaged in back-and-forth affairs, as of their last 13 meetings, and only one of them was decided by more than two goals. During their 2024 Eastern Conference Final, the score was tied or within one goal for 95 percent of playing time. Those in attendance at LoanDepot Park, as well as those watching at home, can only hope Friday’s game is as competitive.
The 2026 NHL Winter Classic will be the 44th outdoor game in league history, with the 45th just around the corner. On Feb. 1, the Stadium Series will take place, also in Florida, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. That will feature the Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Boston Bruins, as after never hosting an outdoor game prior to this season, the state of Florida will then host two such contests in the span of a month.
The NHL Winter Classic 2026 will take place at 8 p.m. ET on Friday from LoanDepot Park in Miami. The game will be broadcast on TNT and truTV, and it can also be streamed on HBO Max.
