NHL plans to host two outdoor games in Florida in 2026

Outdoor hockey in Florida? The National Hockey League says it is up for the challenge.

The NHL announced Wednesday that it will host its first outdoor games in the Sunshine State.

The league will feature two matchups next year, one as part of the Winter Classic, followed by a Stadium Series game.

The first game will feature the Florida Panthers hosting the New York Rangers at LoanDepot Park, home of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins, on Jan. 2, 2026.

And one month later, the NHL will do it all over again in Tampa, as the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium, home of the National Football League’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But why host a winter sport outdoors in a warm-weather state?

“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,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

“Never let it be said that our League isn’t willing to accept a challenge,” he added.

In order to pull this feat off, the league said that to keep the ice from melting it will use the LoanDepot Park roof in Miami until the game starts. The roof will then open for the game, held outdoors and under stadium lights.

Tampa will be a bigger challenge because Raymond James Stadium does not have a roof. So the NHL said it will build a roof structure over the ice and strip it ahead of the game.

The league expects an amount of prep and lead time similar to other outdoor events it has held. The NHL said it will take about two weeks to set up the stadiums.

The matchups will cost more than a traditional Winter Classic or Stadium Series game, Steve Mayer, president of NHL content and events, told CNBC.

“It’s a lot more to build a structure that we’ve never had to build before,” he said. “I will say we are getting incredible contributions from the state of Florida sports commission that understands the value of a big event.”

The league said it expects about 100,000 people to attend both events combined.

Pro hockey in Florida has been a bright spot for the league. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers have won four collective Stanley Cups since they joined the NHL more than 30 years ago. The Panthers are the league’s reigning champions.

That success is translating off the ice.

The Lightning are now valued at $1.8 billion and the Panthers at $1.35 billion, according to CNBC’s Official NHL Valuations.

The success of hockey in Florida is also creating a new generation of young fans.

Ice hockey registrations in Florida are up 212% since 1999, with more than 21,000 registered players in the state last season, according to the NHL. Girls’ hockey participation alone in Florida is also on the uptick, up about 16% year over year and 56% over the past eight years, the league said.

Mayer attributes the growth in Florida hockey to several factors: Snow birds in Florida have latched on to the game, and local communities have embraced the Panthers and Lightning.

The NHL acknowledges that trying to hold outdoor games in Florida is risky but says the payoff is worth it.

“We understand there’s some risk involved, but there’s risk in every one of these games that we do, no matter where we go,” said Mayer. “We just feel like Florida has embraced hockey and the growth of the game, it just felt like the perfect time.”