Florida Panthers to Host 2026 Winter Classic Against New York Rangers

The Florida Panthers will host the 2026 NHL Winter Classic at Miami’s loanDepot Park Against the New York Rangers.

The NHL announced that the Florida Panthers will be hosting the 2026 Winter Classic at Miami’s loanDepot Park against the New York Rangers.

Florida was one of three teams to never play in an outdoor game prior to the announcement — along with the Columbus Blue Jackets (who are set to host a Stadium Series game in Ohio State’s stadium on March 1) and the Utah Hockey Club.

It marks the first outdoor game the NHL has ever played in Florida, and loanDepot Park’s retractable roof makes the installation and maintenance of the ice much easier with Miami’s hot climate.

The Panthers will not be the only Florida team hosting an outdoor game, either. The Tampa Bay Lightning will be taking on the Boston Bruins in a Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium in February.

Florida gets a 2024 Eastern Conference final rematch with the Rangers, who have made it a long-running ritual to make a trip down to South Florida near the holidays with a froth of their fans in attendance.

The ratio of Panthers and Rangers fans has quickly shifted since Florida made its surge into contention and now the team has a chance to show how quickly it has grown the sport in sunny South Florida on a national stage.

The Boston Bruins were thought to be Florida’s biggest rival outside of Tampa Bay, but those two will take each other on in an Atlantic Division clash of their own.

This is a developing story which will be updated when new information becomes available. Consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to PucksAndPalms.com for up-to-the-minute updates on the Florida Panthers and the 2026 NHL Winter Classic.