New York Rangers hockey players won their sixth outdoor duel in the overseas NHL. In the traditional Winter Classic, they won on Saturday night in Miami over home Florida 5:1, when Mika Zibanejad shone with three goals and two assists.
He became the first player in history to score a hat trick in the Winter Classic, and his five points is a record in games under an open roof.
The Winter Classic match was played for the first time in Florida and, as expected, it was the hottest in history – more than 17 degrees Celsius were measured at the loanDepot park stadium. The home stand of the Miami Marlins baseball players reported sold out, 36,153 spectators were in the stands and saw Zibanejad’s gala performance.
He was included in Sweden’s Olympic nomination during the day, and then in the evening he scored all of his team’s goals, scoring his ninth career hat trick and his fourth five-point game. “I think it’s hard to understand this whole day,” said Zibanejad after the match, who sealed the hat-trick with a breakaway strike into an empty net.
“But yeah, I’ve had a great 12, 16 hours. It’s been a fun day. It’s just been there, what else can I say. The most important thing is that we won. It was a very important game for us.”
VIDEO: Hat trick They have jada
Apart from him, only David Pastrňák (2021) and Tyler Toffoli (2020) scored hat-tricks in open air. In the Winter Classic, he broke the previous record held by Jordan Kyrou from St. Louis Blues from 2022.
The Russian forward of the “Riders” Artemij Panarin scored two goals and an assist, and with seven points (3+4) he is, along with three other players – Henrik Zetterberg, Jonathan Toews and James van Riemsdyk – at the head of league history in “outdoor” meetings.
Alexis Lafreniere scored three assists in the winner’s jersey, and goalkeeper Igor Šestorkin blocked 36 shots by Florida, who were significantly more active in their attempts at goal (37:20).
He is our hero
“Five points, a hat trick, what can we say? He is our hero, but Panarin also scored two goals and together they led our offensive. They are our key players,” defender Vladislav Gavrikov praised his colleagues from the cabin.
He was joined by Alexis Lafreniere, who set up two goals for Zibanejad: “When he gets going like that, it’s a lot of fun to watch him.
He is one of our leaders, and a similar performance by stars will force others to give their best.” The players of the defending champion from Florida did not hide their disappointment after the match.
“Of course, we wanted to achieve a better result and give a better performance, but we have to take it as the fact that the opponent was simply better.
However, we are very happy that we could play such a duel at all. We’ll never forget it,” emphasized forward Sam Reinhart, the only successful home scorer. Defender Seth Jones was injured by the “Panthers” already in the first period.
VIDEO: Goals Zibanejada in Panarina
Minnesota scored points in the fifth match in a row, when it won 5:2 on the ice of Anaheim. Defenseman Quinn Hughes, who the Wild acquired in a trade from Vancouver in December, tied his personal best with four assists.
He broke the club record for Minnesota defensemen
Since joining the club, he has collected 11 points (1+10) in ten games.
He also broke the Minnesota defenseman’s club record for assists in one game and tied the Wild defenseman’s point record for points in one game (Mathew Dumba in 2018).
Recorded his fourth career four-assist game, tying Phil Housley for fourth among US-born defensemen.
Only Gary Suter (8), Chris Chelios and Brian Leetch (both 6) had more. Russian winger Danila Jurov scored two goals. The Ducks lost for the fifth time in a row. Minnesota has won seven consecutive duels with Anaheim.
Matty Beniers scored the only run in Seattle’s 4-3 win in Vancouver. Jake DeBrusk’s three points (1+2) didn’t help the home team either. The Kraken extended their point streak to seven games.
“We battled,” Seattle coach Lane Lambert told nhl.com. “The opponent made it 1-3 to 3-3, but we were able to turn it around and I’m glad that we won two in two days.” The Seattle players succeeded in the raids for the first time this season, having failed to do so four times before.
NHL – Friday, January 2
Winter Classic 2026
Florida Panthers – New York Rangers 1:5 (0:2, 0:1, 1:2)
Goals: 43. Reinhart (Bennett, Marchand) – 16. Zibanejad (Lafreniere, Panarin), 17. Panarin (Zibanejad, Lafreniere), 21. Zibanejad (Lafreniere, Trocheck), 53. Panarin (Trocheck, Zibanejad), 59. Zibanejad.
Goalkeepers: Bobrovsky – Šestorkin, shots on goal: 37:20
other results:
Anaheim Ducks – Minnesota Wild 2:5 (0:1, 1:2, 1:2)
Goals: 34. Sennecke (McTavish), 58. Terry (Granlund) – 6. Krizov (Eriquesson Ek, Hughes), 29. Jurov (Trenin, Hughes), 35. Trenin (Hughes Ek), 44. Jurov (Hughes, Zugarrello), 56. Sturm (Folino, Brodin).
Goalkeepers: Dostál – Gustavsson, shots on goal: 28:34
Vancouver Canucks – Seattle Kraken 3:4 pp a sn (0:1, 2:2, 1:0 – 0:0, 0:1)
Goals: 34. Sherwood (DeBrusk, Willander), 40. DeBrusk (Boeser, Elias Pettersson), 47. L. Karlsson (Hronek, DeBrusk) – 18th Fleury (Olexiac, Kakko), 29. Stephen (Eberle, McCann), 39. Meyers (Winn, Melanson), rozh. nav. Benier.
Goalkeepers: Demko – Daccord, shots on goal: 23:28
NHL tables
Western Conference:
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