An outdoor hockey game could be heading to a stadium in Florida near you. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, the Tampa Bay Lightning are expected to host an outdoor game next season as well as the Florida Panthers. These will be separate games hosted by each team.
There are no announced matchups. The NHL’s two Florida teams could play each other in each venue in a series, but it’s doubtful, and we don’t yet know which team will be featured in the Winter Classic and/or a Stadium Series game, and both could be part of the Stadium Series as well.
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While the Panthers are reported to be playing at LoanDepot Park, the home of MLB’s Miami Marlins, there is no determined location for the Lightning. Sportsnet reported that the likely venue will be Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Before Hurricane Milton, Tropicana Field could have been an option since that’s where the Lightning played from 1993-94 to 1995-96. However, its roof is still too damaged for the facility to be usable.
There has never been an outdoor NHL game in Florida, so there will be some weather challenges to figure out. They could also consider Northern Florida, such as Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, where the Florida Gators college football team plays, in Gainesville, Fla., or Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla., where the Florida State Seminoles college football team plays. However, more likely, the teams will play closer to home.
