The NHL is about to do something pretty wild – an outdoor hockey game in Miami.
League commissioner Gary Bettman dropped this bombshell during Tuesday’s Winter Classic broadcast, hinting at a major announcement coming in the next few weeks.
"Some people will think we’ve lost our minds," Bettman said with a grin. "It’s going to be a little unusual, a little more unique… and it’s going to be good."
The game will be played at LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins baseball team. And yes, they’ve thought about Florida’s famous heat – the stadium’s retractable roof will help keep the ice from turning into a swimming pool.
This is a big deal for the Florida Panthers. After the Columbus Blue Jackets play their Stadium Series game against Detroit at Ohio Stadium this season, the Panthers and Arizona’s team will be the only NHL clubs that haven’t played outdoors.
But don’t expect a Sunshine State showdown. Sources say a Panthers-Lightning matchup isn’t happening, even though Tampa Bay is likely to get their own outdoor game at Raymond James Stadium in 2025 or 2026.
Instead, the Panthers will face either the Boston Bruins or New York Rangers – both teams that are pretty familiar with outdoor hockey, having played in five games already.
The Miami game wouldn’t be the first "indoor-outdoor" NHL game. Back in 2014, Vancouver’s BC Place kept its roof closed during the Heritage Classic because of rain, showing that these games can work even when Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate.
Winter temperatures in Miami typically hit the 70s, but it’s actually the humidity and rain that’ll determine whether they can open the roof for the game.
The Panthers have known this was coming – local media caught wind of it in early December. Now it’s just a matter of making hockey history in one of the most unexpected places imaginable.
