Winter Classic in Miami evokes memories of Dodger Stadium game for Quick

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Jonathan Quick remembers walking through the opening in the center field fence at Dodger Stadium almost 12 years ago and seeing the unique scene in front of him, the beach and stage and Los Angeles night set for the first warm weather outdoor NHL game.

"I mean, it's a big show," Quick, the New York Rangers goalie, told NHL.com. "It's a lot of extra stuff just to play a hockey game."

Always is, and in Los Angeles on Jan. 25, 2014 it was something totally different, just like it will be for Quick, the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers under the dark and starry Miami sky around 8 p.m. ET on Jan. 2, when they make a similar walk to the ice for the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic at loanDepot park for the League's second warm weather outdoor game.

It was 63 degrees Fahrenheit at the start of the 2014 NHL Stadium Series game between Quick's Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks at the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

It should be even warmer and more humid in Miami on Friday night. But unlike at Dodger Stadium, a fully open-air ballpark, the NHL is building the rink at loanDepot park with the retractable roof closed and two mobile refrigeration units on site.

Quick, already having experienced outdoor hockey not far from Hollywood, isn't concerned what a rink not far from South Beach will be like for the Rangers and Panthers.

"I mean, quite honestly, a lot of the rinks you go to, the big arenas, and the temperature is not far off," Quick said. "Quite honestly, the ice at Dodger Stadium was probably better than the ice at Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena). I know there is a lot of work that goes into trying to create as safe a surface as possible for the players so there's a lot of attention to it. The temperature, they know how to work it. Obviously it's going to be a little warmer, but it's at nighttime so it's a little cooler and the sun isn't on it. The adjustments are made to ensure as high a quality as possible for the players, so we knew going into it they were going to take care of the ice and make sure it's good to go for us."

The spectacle in Miami probably will remind Quick of what it was like at Dodger Stadium, when he walked toward the rink with a beach volleyball setup in left field and the band KISS playing in right field.

Jon Miller and the late Vin Scully, two legendary broadcasters in L.A. with voices known around the world, emceed the intros. Wayne Gretzky was there for the ceremonial face-off between the Kings' Dustin Brown and the Ducks' Ryan Getzlaf.

"I definitely do think it's something you're lucky to be a part of," Quick said. "You look at the amount of people coming in, obviously you're playing in front of big crowds, it's a unique atmosphere and a unique experience. To be able to be part of it and experience it, it's super cool. But at the end of the day it's probably more enjoyable for the families and friends. For us, it's in the middle of the season and you're just so caught up in we've got to win this for the points and the standings. The focus is heavily on that, but you get these little moments to soak in it. It's lived very quickly because you have to focus on the task at hand."

That's how Quick remembers the Dodger Stadium experience, but he was the Kings' No. 1 goalie then, the obvious starter, just as he was for the 2015 NHL Stadium Series game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California and the 2020 Stadium Series game at Falcon Stadium on the campus of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2020.

"You're really just happy when that game finally starts because you actually get to do what you're supposed to be doing," Quick said. "Once you get out there and the game starts, they're special and fun to be a part of."

It should be different for Quick in Miami.

If all goes to plan, he'll be the Rangers' backup to Igor Shesterkin in the Winter Classic just like he was against the New York Islanders at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Feb. 18, 2024, the second of two games in the 2024 Stadium Series.

Being the backup allows Quick a different perspective of the spectacle.

"Yeah, I can enjoy it a little more," he said, smiling. "For sure. I definitely do in the backup role have the opportunity to take a look at the whole set up and enjoy the production of it."