Miami keeps living up to its “sports capital of the world” nickname, this time by having a National Hockey League game take place outdoors. Yes, you read that right.
The Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers will host the 2026 Winter Classic for the first time, facing off against the New York Rangers. Scheduled for January 2nd, it will all go down at loanDepot Park, the home of the Miami Marlins.
Each year, the game is held on or around New Year’s Day in an outdoor venue. With it being in Miami however, it’ll be interesting to see how the ballpark, with a retractable roof and a seating capacity of over 36,000, will transform into a winter wonderland!
This isn’t the NHL’s first outdoor game in a warmer climate. Back in 2016, the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche battled it out at Coors Field in 65 degrees, breaking the record for the warmest temperature in a regular season outdoor game. Before then, the warmest game was 63 degrees in 2014, when the Los Angeles Kings hosted the Anaheim Ducks at Dodger Stadium.
Next year will mark the 17th edition of the Winter Classic and 44th regular-season outdoor game overall. In fact, it’ll be the southernmost outdoor game in NHL history by far! The Panthers are actually one of three teams to have never have played outdoors, including the Utah Hockey Club and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Meanwhile, this will be the Rangers’ sixth-ever outdoor game.
How to get tickets to the 2026 NHL Winter Classic
Information on tickets and additional details such as start time will be revealed at a later date. Ticket members for the Florida Panthers’ 2025-26 season will have priority access to secure tickets, and the Miami Marlins will have a limited number of tickets available for fans, with members enjoying early access through an exclusive presale.