The Winter Classic and Stadium Series have become big parts of the yearly NHL schedule. These outdoor games galvanize fanbases to head outdoors and brave the cold for one day. In 2026, the NHL outdoor games won’t be too cold. The Winter Classic will be the Florida Panthers against the New York Rangers. And the Stadium Series will pit the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Boston Bruins, per a league announcement on Wednesday.
Outdoor hockey? In Florida? We’ve got you covered!
: 2026 @Discover NHL #WinterClassic – @NYRangers vs. @FlaPanthers at LoanDepot Park on January 2
— NHL (@NHL) January 8, 2025
The Winter Classic has become a key part of the New Year’s sports schedule. After a failed experiment on New Year’s Eve this year, Blackhawks-Blues was the lowest-rated Classic ever, they head to Friday, January 2. It may be the future of the Winter Classic, as the College Football Playoff stakes its claim on the January 1 schedule. The game will be at LoanDepot Park, home of the MLB’s Miami Marlins.
Just one month later, the Tampa Bay Lightning will host the Stadium Series at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Buccaneers. The Boston Bruins are a staple of NHL outdoor games, hosting three in the short history, and will play in this one. These two Eastern Conference contenders have played a lot of good games this decade and that should continue.
Where do the NHL outdoor games go from here?
While there is still a unique aspect of the Winter Classic and Stadium Series, the numbers are declining. This year’s game was the second time the Blues and the Blackhawks had played, the fifth Chicago game, and the second Wrigley Field game. This announcement shows a change in strategy from this year’s event.
There are some things that will never change with the NHL outdoor games. Both opponents are Original Six teams, who get an overwhelming amount of national television time, as mentioned with the Blackhawks. The Bruins and Rangers have made five outdoor appearances each.
Fans on social media were hoping for another rematch in the Winter Classic next year to send off two Hall-of-Famers. Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby faced off in the 2011 Winter Classic in Pittsburgh. One more outdoor game with the two legends would be a great use of the 2027 event, assuming they are both still playing.
These will not be the first warm-weather outdoor games the NHL has put on. They went to Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles in 2015, and the Cotton Bowl in Dallas in 2020. These Florida teams have been successful the past five years and deserve to host the games given to them.
The post Lightning, Panthers to host Bruins, Rangers in 2026 NHL outdoor games appeared first on ClutchPoints.
