The Tradition We Keep Coming Back For
The NHL Winter Classic has been part of the New Year playbook since 2008, right up there with leftover snacks and that weird, cozy stretch of time where the calendar changes but life hasn’t yet. It’s become a true New Year’s ritual, transforming a regular-season game into a made-for-TV moment by dropping hockey into iconic outdoor venues across North America.
What began as a bold experiment has grown into one of the league’s most recognizable traditions, with each edition adding a new layer through memorable locations and unexpected matchups. In 2026, the NHL leans into that evolution once again when the Florida Panthers take on the New York Rangers.
Where Beaches Meet Blades
This year’s Winter Classic heads to Miami’s loanDepot Park, where we'll see a baseball diamond moonlighting as a hockey rink, making it the southernmost outdoor game in Winter Classic history. Palm trees, warm air and outdoor ice hockey don’t usually share the same sentence (one of these things is not like the other), but the Winter Classic has never been about temperature; it’s all about spectacle and storytelling.
Making that work in Florida takes more than optimism, so the NHL is rolling out its most advanced ice-management setup yet, using a temporary, climate-controlled structure made of steel and concrete to protect the ice during construction. Designed to shield the surface from relentless sun and sudden rainstorms, the cover comes off just in time for puck drop.
And that stage belongs to the home team. The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are skating into their first-ever outdoor game, doing it on home ice with championship momentum still humming.
Sweaters With a Story
The Panthers' Winter Classic uniform design pays homage to both Florida’s hockey history and local military ties, with vintage-inspired details like a throwback crest and decorative stitching influenced by South Florida’s military heritage. It’s the kind of jersey that actually means something, not just something you buy because it looks cool.
Across the ice, the Rangers are fully leaning into their birthday year. Celebrating their 100th NHL season, they’re carrying the centennial theme into the Winter Classic with a special jersey that pairs right in with the look they’ve worn all season. It’s tradition and history wrapped up in one unmistakably New York look.
More Than a Game Day
The buildup starts weeks earlier on TV. The four-part reality series “Road to the NHL Winter Classic” returned on December 10 and runs through January 2, offering behind-the-scenes access to the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers as they prepare for the outdoor showdown. First introduced in 2010, the series has become a fan favorite for its raw moments, locker-room access and human-level storytelling that shows the people behind the pads, not just the stat lines.
Once fans land in Miami, the energy doesn’t let up. Game-day festivities run January 1–2, with outdoor fan zones, interactive exhibits and a full slate of NHL experiences around loanDepot Park leading into puck drop at 8 pm ET on January 2. From the fan festival to the pregame attractions, it’s part hockey, part destination event and exactly what you’d expect from a Winter Classic that refuses to be low-key.