SUNRISE, Fla. — The National Hockey League announced today that the Discover 2026 NHL Winter Classic will feature the Florida Panthers hosting the New York Rangers at loanDepot park, home of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins, on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026.
Florida Panthers Season Ticket Members for the 2025-26 season will receive a priority access presale to the Discover NHL Winter Classic Tickets, click here [seatgeek.com] to place a 2025-26 Season Ticket Membership deposit. To receive more event and ticket on sale information, click here [floridapanthers.formstack.com] to receive communication. Additional details including start time and general ticketing information will be announced at a later date when available. Please visit FloridaPanthers.com/WinterClassic [floridapanthers.com] for more information.
“After the success and fan reception of the 2023 All-Star Game and two Stanley Cup Finals in South Florida, we are thrilled to welcome another marquee NHL event in the Winter Classic, said President and CEO Matt Caldwell. “We have long anticipated this moment and can’t wait to see loanDepot park filled with hockey fans for what promises to be a memorable matchup in South Florida.”
This game will mark the southernmost outdoor matchup in NHL history just a short drive away from the site where the Panthers first debuted as a franchise in 1993 and the first-ever NHL regular-season outdoor game for the Panthers. The NHL Winter Classic continues the tradition the League established in 2008 of hosting a regular-season outdoor game at the onset of the new year. It will be the 17th NHL Winter Classic and the 44th NHL regular-season outdoor game overall. Scheduled for January 2026, the event will make Florida the 19th U.S. state to host an outdoor game. A complete history of NHL regular-season outdoor games can be found here [email.pr-email.nhl.com].
“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. Outdoor NHL games in the Sunshine State? Never let it be said that our League isn’t willing to accept a challenge,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
“The Panthers and Lightning have told us repeatedly that they and their fans want this special experience. Beginning in Miami on Jan. 2, when the Panthers host the Rangers in the Discover NHL Winter Classic, we will stage a month-long celebration of hockey throughout Florida that will culminate in Tampa on Feb. 1, when the Lightning host the Bruins in the Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series. Florida, we’re bringing our unique events to you, and we can’t wait.”
The two teams have faced off twice before in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Rangers defeated the Panthers in five games in the 1997 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal, and the Cats downed New York in six games in the 2024 Eastern Conference Final en route to winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.
“It is an honor to work with the NHL and Florida Panthers to bring the magic of outdoor hockey to South Florida,” said Marlins President of Business Caroline O’Connor. “The NHL Winter Classic is an iconic sporting event, and we are excited to bring it to loanDepot park for our community to experience. A special thank you to David Oxfeld and Anthony Favata from our Leadership Team for their thorough work on this incredible opportunity, and to Matt Caldwell from the Florida Panthers along with Keith Wachtel and the NHL team for their support and trust in our shared vision. We look forward to making history with our fans and further establishing loanDepot park’s reputation as a marquee entertainment venue.”
The Panthers first played in a stadium primarily used for baseball when they visited the Thunderdome (now Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays) for their first regular season game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 9, 1993. The contest was just Florida’s third regular season game ever, yet they defeated their cross-state rival 2-0 behind a 35-save shutout performance from John Vanbiesbrouck and goals from Scott Levins and Tom Fitzgerald.
Catch your Florida Panthers in action this season! 2024-25 single game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com or at Amerant Bank Arena Box Office (Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Fans can learn more about ticketing options and join the waitlist for future Florida Panthers Territory Memberships by visiting FloridaPanthers.com/tickets [nhl.com] or by calling the PUCK line (954.835.PUCK).
