The sport of ice hockey has experienced a significant boom in the state of Florida in recent years. The Florida Panthers are the reigning Stanley Cup champions and the Tampa Bay Lightning have won consecutive Stanley Cups in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. Despite all of this success, neither the Panthers nor Lightning have participated in an outdoor game, because how can you do that in Florida?
It turns out that the NHL and Raymond James Stadium want to achieve the impossible in 2026.
The NHL announced this week that the Lightning will face the Boston Bruins on February 1, 2026 at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game will be the first outdoor game played in the state of Florida under the NHL banner.
It's not uncommon for the NHL to play in one warm Condition. In the past they have played in California and Texas and the games went smoothly. However, it's worth noting that the average high temperature in Tampa Bay in February is 75 degrees, so the NHL and Raymond James Stadium will have their hands full.
