![NHL Announces Florida Locations For 2026 Stadium Series & Winter Classic Games, & The Internet Brought The Jokes]()
![Stadium game in Florida]()
Nothing screams hockey like the cold, bitter weather in... Florida.
In recent years, the NHL has really leaned into creating unique and special fan experiences on an annual basis. Those have come in the form of what they call the "Stadium Series" and the "Winter Classic." Both tend to take the hockey rinks that teams call home out of their regular confines, placing them instead where baseball diamonds and football fields usually reside.
The National Hockey League has already set its sights on both games that will be featured during the 2026 season. When January 2nd rolls back around, the 2026 Winter Classic game will see the New York Rangers taking on the Florida Panthers. As for the 2026 Stadium Series event, the Boston Bruins will face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
And where will these games take place?
Florida.
https://twitter.com/espn/status/1877083419026370857
You read that right. The NHL - a hockey league that obviously requires ice rinks for their contests - will be taking their precious ice outside in the Florida heat in 2026. What could go wrong?
The good news is that the 2026 Winter Classic will be held inside Miami's LoanDepot Park, which is an indoor baseball stadium. I'm sure there will be a temperature control element there, and that makes sense. But the same can't be said for the 2026 Stadium Series game. That will take place in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium... which is very much outside. About as outdoors as it gets, actually.
https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1877083985131495575
When the NHL hosted a winter classic game in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania back in 2011, they had to reschedule the start time from 1 p.m. eastern time to 8 p.m. eastern time because... it was too hot and it rained a ton, making the ice unsafe for players. So just imagine that problem, but 10 to 100 times worse.
If my research serves me right, the average temperatures in Tampa, Florida in January and February see highs between 71 and 75 degrees and lows of 54 and 57 degrees. I feel as though I don't have to remind you the important freezing temperature. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see those temperatures, then look at plans to have an outdoor hockey game in Florida, and then proceed to scratch your head in a manner that asks, "How's this going to work?"
That's what everyone is saying - and joking about - online:
