Construction of the rink for the 2026 NHL Winter Classic at loanDepot Park is officially underway, marking a major step toward bringing outdoor hockey to South Florida. With refrigeration trucks on site and flooring installation in progress, the transformation of the Miami Marlins’ baseball stadium into a hockey venue is now becoming a visible reality.
Nearly a year after the NHL announced that the Florida Panthers would host the New York Rangers in the Winter Classic on Jan. 2, preparations are accelerating. The event represents one of the league’s most ambitious outdoor games, staged in one of its warmest markets.
“It’s exciting,” Florida Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito said Wednesday. “It’s inspiring to think that here we are in South Florida, trying to grow our sport, to get more people exposed to our game, and to think that we’re able to do it here at this beautiful facility.”
NHL officials outlined the complex process required to build a regulation ice rink inside a domed baseball stadium. Over the next several days, crews are installing the ArmorDeck flooring system across the playing surface, which will serve as the foundation for the rink. Piping is being laid simultaneously, with the goal of completing this phase by early next week.
For the first time, the NHL will use two portable mobile refrigeration units to create the ice surface, an approach tested earlier this year during the Stadium Series at Ohio State’s football stadium. Ice creation is expected to begin around Christmas.
On top of the deck, 253 aluminum pans arranged in three rows will form the base layer of the ice. The sheets will be thicker than standard NHL ice, measuring between 2 and 2½ inches compared to the usual 1½ inches used in indoor arenas.
Weather conditions permitting, loanDepot Park’s retractable roof is expected to be open for team practices on Jan. 1 and for the game itself on Jan. 2, which is scheduled for an 8 p.m. puck drop. Until then, the roof will remain closed while the stadium’s air conditioning system runs at full capacity to maintain ice quality.
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“We’ve done a lot of the outdoor games now,” King said, “and really being able to bring it to South Florida, I think that’s a pretty bold move by the league. For us, it’s, ‘Why not? Why not Florida?’ It’s an amazing hockey market, so for us to bring the game here, I think it’s pretty exciting.”
Andrew Higgins, NHL senior manager of facilities operations, emphasized the technical challenge of staging the event in Miami’s climate.
“I think for us and our crew, it’s just a new challenge. We’ve been in warmer markets before — Raleigh and Dallas — but really nothing as south or as warm as this. So it’s a chance for us to bring both of our mobile refrigeration units, get those hooked together, get those running together. So just a challenge for us and our team. Not that these ever become stale; we’re always dealing with something, whether it be weather or a venue issue, but this is just a new challenge for us.”
Zito described the Winter Classic as a milestone moment for the franchise and the league, calling it a “bucket list” event. The game also reflects the Panthers’ rise as one of the NHL’s premier teams, having won the past two Stanley Cups and reached the Final in 2023.
“A privilege that we’re able to be part of a league that is forward-thinking,” Zito said. “We have some really smart talented people who say, ‘Yeah, let’s try it. Let’s do it.’ ... It’s just great for the game and great for our sport.”
The Winter Classic will further highlight Florida’s growing hockey presence, with the Tampa Bay Lightning scheduled to host a Stadium Series game one month later. Together, Florida-based teams have appeared in six consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, underscoring the sport’s expanding footprint in the Sunshine State.
As construction continues, the arrival of ice and infrastructure at loanDepot Park signals that one of the NHL’s most unconventional outdoor showcases is quickly moving from concept to reality.
Originally reported by Jordan McPherson in Miami Herald.
