NEW YORK -- Snow and sand surround the NHL regulation-size rink in the rendering the National Hockey League (NHL) released today of Miami’s loanDepot park for the highly anticipated 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic, the Jan. 2 outdoor game between the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers (8 p.m. ET, TNT, HBO Max, SN, TVAS).
The “Snowy Winter Comes to Sunny Florida” theme highlights the convergence of the annual homage paid to the game’s cold-weather origins and the South Florida warm-weather setting for this season’s NHL Winter Classic. For Florida’s first outdoor hockey game, the contrast of these two winters will be reflected on each side of the field.
On the left, a typical sandy South Florida winter includes flamingos, umbrella beach chairs, a lifeguard shack and a street hockey rink. To mark this historic game, snow arrives to cover the right side of the field with pelicans, snow-topped beach chairs, a lifeguard stand equipped with a snowplow and a synthetic ice rink. Palm trees dot both sides of the field.
On game day, alongside the action on the ice, the entire field will come to life with beachgoers sunbathing and enjoying the warm climate and sand while other Floridians make snow angels and take part in snow fights and other wintry activities.
To commemorate the continued increase in girls’ and women’s hockey participation in Florida, the two rinks installed in the outfield will host players from the Panthers’ Learn to Play program and members of the Women’s Hockey Advancement Committee (WHAC) during pregame and intermissions.
As previously announced, Latin GRAMMY Award-winning global artist Luis Fonsi will perform during the opening of the game. He joins singer-songwriter Role Model, who will headline the first intermission presented by Ticketmaster.
The U.S. National Anthem will be performed by Veteran SGT Emily Nichols of the Florida National Guard. The National Anthem Deaf Performer is Joshua Rodriguez as part of the NHL’s partnership with P-X-P. The University of Miami Color Guard will present colors, while the University of South Florida ROTC will unfurl the U.S. flag.
All in-game entertainment will be produced by NHL Entertainment, with NHL President, Events & Content Steve Mayer serving as executive producer.
The celebration of hockey in Florida continues Feb. 1 when the Tampa Bay Lightning play host to the Boston Bruins in the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The event will be televised live on TNT and HBO Max in the U.S., and on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada, at 8 p.m. ET. A limited number of tickets to the NHL Stadium Series are still available, on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last, via Ticketmaster, the official ticketing partner of the NHL.
