Overview
- It will be the league’s first outdoor game in Florida and the southernmost Winter Classic to date.
- Thursday practices reported strong ice conditions after custom refrigeration, thicker ice and aluminum pans were used to construct the rink.
- An expected crowd of about 35,300 will see beach-and-snow set pieces, staged snowfall and a pregame festival, with player arrivals slated for 4:45 p.m. (Rangers) and 5:15 p.m. (Panthers).
- National distribution includes TNT and truTV on television, streaming via DIRECTV, and radio coverage on SiriusXM channel 220.
- Both clubs sit outside current playoff positions and are missing key players, giving weight to the two points on offer as the Rangers bring a 5-0 outdoor record into the game.