Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Miami Hosts NHL’s First Florida Outdoor Game as Winter Classic Faces Off Tonight

The league pairs a controlled-ice build with a beach‑themed spectacle to deliver an outdoor showcase in the tropics.

Overview

  • Puck drop is 8 p.m. ET at loanDepot Park, with the retractable roof scheduled to open at game time and attendance set around 35,300.
  • The game airs on TNT and truTV with streaming on HBO Max, plus related TNT and truTV digital platforms.
  • The NHL built the rink inside the air‑conditioned ballpark since mid‑December, added a second mobile refrigeration unit and thicker ice, and earned positive ice reviews from players and coaches after final practices.
  • Production features a beach‑meets‑winter set with palm trees, flamingos, cotton “snow,” staged chaise lounges, and a plan to make it snow in Miami during the broadcast.
  • Florida and New York enter outside the East’s playoff spots; the Panthers play their first outdoor game, the Rangers are 5‑0 outdoors, and injuries sideline Florida stars Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov along with multiple Rangers forwards.