MIAMI – Just because there are palm trees doesn’t mean there can’t be ice hockey.
The boards, floor-to-ceiling windows, players’ benches and penalty boxes are all ready for the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic at loanDepot park, home of the MLB’s Miami Marlins.
Tuesday afternoon, the NHL planned to begin making the ice on which the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers will face each other in the first outdoor game played in the Sunshine State on January 2 (8 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNW, HBO Max, truTV, TNT).
As in all previous editions of the Winter Classic, there will even be heating on the players’ bench. But since the match is played in Miami, we installed all this as a preventative measure only.
“We’re pretty sure we’re not going to use them this time,” said Dean Matsuzaki, NHL vice-president of event content, Tuesday morning.
From his position high above loanDepot park, Matsuzaki had a bird’s eye view of all the activity that was teeming on the Marlins field. But instead of a baseball diamond, there was instead an ice rink extending from the foul zone in right field to that in left field.
Soon, the entire space around the rink will be transformed into one big stage where hockey and winter will merge with South Beach culture.
One half of the field will represent winter and include a synthetic ice rink that will be used while the Winter Classic is played. On the other half, a beach will be represented and a ball hockey surface will be used.
The stadium will be able to accommodate 35,300 people for the Winter Classic.
“With the configuration of the rink on this lot, there’s a lot of privacy,” Matsuzaki said. Some of the stadiums we go to are huge football fields, and there’s a little separation (between the ice and the stands). But the foul zones are very small here. The terrain is narrower, which is great. It’s a perfect pitch for this match. »
On Tuesday, the many palm trees visible through the giant bay windows on the east side of the stadium moved in the wind.
As Matsuzaki spoke, the stadium’s massive air conditioning units did their work.
It was 75 degrees outside loanDeport park on Tuesday, but walking into the stadium felt more like stepping foot into Amerant Bank Arena, the Panthers’ home about 40 miles from here in Sunrise.
The NHL brought in one, but two mobile refrigeration units to help make the ice.
The stadium’s retractable roof has been closed for several days to keep cold air inside.
In the field, ice will be made on top of 253 aluminum panels arranged in three rows, with pipes connected to the refrigeration units.
The floor was cooled so that ice making could begin.
“We’ve talked a lot about the weather, and it’s a big challenge for us,” Matsuzaki said. That said, having a roof and a closed building, in addition to air conditioning, helps us keep a much cooler temperature than outside. We have limited several of the challenges, but we are monitoring everything closely. »
At game time, the roof and windows facing downtown Miami and Biscayne Bay will open. The Winter Classic will therefore have a very tropical flavor.
And for those worried about the heat, there is good news on the weather front.
A maximum of 21°C is forecast on January 2, with a minimum of 13°C.
No rain forecast either.
“We are very happy about it,” Matsuzaki said. We would like the temperature to drop a little. We plan to open the roof for the match. »
