Jones caps 'whirlwind' 24 hours with 2026 Winter Classic for Panthers

MIAMI -- It’s been a good week to be Seth Jones.

Friday, it was an even better day to be the defenseman for the Florida Panthers.

In the past 24 hours, Jones reached the 900-game milestone in the NHL, played in the League’s signature outdoor game and was informed he had been selected to represent the United States in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

And, oh yeah, he arrived at the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic against the New York Rangers at loanDepot park on Friday in grand style, dressed in the style out of the iconic TV show “Miami Vice” while driving a Ferrari, sporting the old-school brick-style mobile phone that was reserved for the rich and famous when cell phones were a rarity in the ‘80s.

The arrival was part of the Panthers’ coordinated entrance to the game, continuing the time-honored tradition of teams executing a theme for its walk-in an outdoor game.

“Yeah, 900th game, outdoor game, it's definitely been a little bit of a whirlwind," Jones said during a pregame press conference.

That conference came just hours after the United States revealed it 25-player roster for the Olympics, which will run from Feb. 11-22.

Jones and Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk were honored before the game for making the U.S. Olympic team, with Tkachuk draping an American flag over Jones’ shoulders when the defenseman was introduced.

Jones was one of four players that did not play for the USA in the Four Nations Face-Off last February.

As such, he was considered a bit of a long shot to be named to the Olympic roster.

“My name wasn’t on a lot of lists over the past year,” Jones said. “You look back a year ago and I probably didn’t deserve to be on a list; I wasn’t playing the greatest hockey in Chicago. I think the trade to Florida has given me new life.”

The fact it is all happening with the Panthers is an amazing part of this tale.

Jones was traded from the Chicago Blackhawks on March 1, 2025, obtained by the Panthers to bolster the blue line in their bid to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

General manager Bill Zito sacrificed a first-round pick, a fourth-round pick and goalie-in-waiting Spencer Knight because he believed Jones could make a difference. The defenseman did, rediscovering his game and emerging as a true No. 1.

Jones had nine points (four goals, five assists) in 23 playoff games and had a plus-11 rating as the Panthers completed their repeat bid with a six-game Cup Final win against the Edmonton Oilers.

“When the playoffs hit, that excitement came back into his game and it’s never come out,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said. “He has been incredible for us to this point.”

This season, Jones is playing 24:01 per game for the Panthers and has 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) in 39 games.

“It was hard to ignore the impact he had with the Panthers,” said New York Rangers coach Mike Sullivan, who will coach the Americans at the Olympics.

Explore NHL.com's Coverage of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026

Sullivan says Jones is like most of the defensemen named to the American team in that he is a two-way player who can break open games with his skill.

“I think he brings more of what the group possesses and that is the ability to impact the game; his size, his strength, his mobility, his reach, his willingness to defend and play a physical game, but also his ability to drive offense with his skating ability and his ability to pass the puck in the rush,” Sullivan said before the game. “When you look at the group that has been assembled, every defenseman in that group has the ability to impact the game on both sides of the puck and I think he just brings more of that.”

There’s no question Jones has been on a roll for a bit, but Friday was certainly the culmination.

He already has the Stanley Cup ring he craved. Now, he has been invited to chase after an Olympic gold, a dream that took shape when he first represented his country as a 16-year-old in the IIHF Under-17 tournament.

He won gold twice at the World Juniors, but he knows what awaits is almost unimaginable.

Jones is overjoyed that he will have the chance to experience it.

“I just wanted to control what I could control at the end of the day,” he said. “I wanted to play good hockey for the Panthers and for my teammates and if [the Olympics] happened, it happened.

“Luckily, it did.”