Team captain JT Miller has missed a number of games recently but is expected to be back in action for the Winter Classic. However, Swedish forward Adam Edström looks set to miss the match against the Panthers due to injury, as he is not back in training yet.
BACKS
Panthers lean on experienced and seasoned players in the back crew. None of the defenders expected to take place in the meeting against Rangers is under 29 years of age, and all of them won the Cup last season.
Swedish running back Gustav Forsling has grown into one of the league’s better running backs during his years in Florida and will go down in history as one of the best players ever picked up by a team via waivers. Forsling and Aaron Ekblad form a strong first back pair for the Panthers, while Niko Mikkola and Seth Jones battle together in the second pair. Jones is the Panthers’ top scorer with 24 points (6+18) in 39 games.
Rangers’ backline is hoping to make a welcome addition in the form of star Adam Fox who recently returned from injury. Although Fox has missed a total of 14 games, he is the team’s top scoring defender and is third in the internal scoring league with 28 points (4+24) in 28 games.
Fox is expected to take the seat alongside Vladislav Gavrikov. The hulking Russian was brought in via free agency before the season, and while he hasn’t put up the same offensive numbers as he did last season for the Los Angeles Kings, he’s been a boost for the Rangers defensively. In addition to the top duo, the Rangers back crew consists of slightly more anonymous names such as Carson Soucy, Will Borgen and Braden Schneider.
GOALKEEPERS
It is set up for a highly interesting “match within the match” when it comes to the teams’ presumed starting goalkeepers. Sergei Bobrovsky has been a big reason the Panthers have won the Cup two seasons in a row, while Igor Shesterkin has been among the league’s top goaltenders since entering the NHL in 2019-20.
The Russian duo both have previous experience playing outdoors. Bobrovsky guarded the box for the Philadelphia Flyers against the Rangers in the 2012 Winter Classic, while Shesterkin made 36 saves as the Rangers defeated the Devils 6-5 in overtime in the 2024 Stadium Series.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Neither the Panthers nor the Rangers have graced the market when it comes to play on the power play in the first half of the season. At the time of writing, the Rangers are ranked 14th in the league with a PP efficiency of 19.8 percent. The Panthers are ranked 19th with an efficiency of 18.6 percent.
The game in box play has looked significantly better for both teams. The Panthers are ranked eighth after killing 82.8 percent of the team’s disposals. Reinhart has accounted for three goals in a numerical disadvantage and is tied for second place in the league. The Rangers are ranked 15th after killing 80.2 percent of the team’s disposals. Zibanejad and Taylor Raddysh each have a goal in numerical disadvantage.
WHAT DO THEY SAY
– It will be different, says Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe. I think in the big games in the playoffs you focus more on what you have to do out there, you don’t really get to enjoy the whole experience. If it’s a Game 7, you don’t think, “This is great.” You think: “I have a job to do.”
– This time we have a couple of days before; you get to see the ice, bring some family. It will be really cool to experience an outdoor match. We’ve got some really good fans here, and it’s going to be really cool to see them all in an outdoor game environment.
– I definitely think it’s something you’re lucky to be a part of, says Rangers goalkeeper veteran Jonathan Quick. You see how many people come in, it’s obvious that you’re playing in front of big audiences, it’s a unique atmosphere and a unique experience. Being able to be a part of it and experience it is super cool.
STAY TUNED
A war of positions on the ice. Both the Panthers and Rangers are in the fight for the playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. Every point means a lot, and in the end this game could have a lot of meaning for both teams.
A mix of sun and winter. The league will put on a show off the ice as well, where the stereotype of sunny Miami meets the ice and snow more traditionally associated with the Winter Classic.
– We have designed it like this in Florida that summer meets winter, fire and ice, hot and cold, all the themes you can believe, says Steve Mayer, president of NHL content and events. About half the plan will be like Miami Beach with lifeguards, umbrellas, cabanas and swimming pools. On the other side, it’s like a huge snowstorm has hit Miami, and that’s the dynamic we’re going to have fun with throughout the game.
Music entertainment of high class. Luis Fonsi will perform his monster hit “Despacito” as the teams step in for drop-ins, while Role Model will entertain the crowd during the first period break.
