On February 26, 2022, the Tampa Bay Lightning played in their first outdoor game against the Nashville Predators at Nissan Stadium. They won 3-2, and helped draw a crowd of almost 69,000. But they’ve never hosted one.
Well, this is set to change in 2026. The Lightning are scheduled to host the Boston Bruins– the Bruins will be appearing in their sixth outdoor game, and second as the visitor– in the 2026 Stadium Series on February 1st. The event will take place at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the University of South Florida Bulls. The 2026 Stadium Series will be the second outdoor game taking place in South Florida, as the Florida Panthers are set to host the New York Rangers for the 2026 Winter Classic.
So, why host two outdoor games in the Sunshine State? Why not just have one outdoor Battle of Florida?
The answer is simple: both the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers wanted the opportunity to host an outdoor game. And it’s deserved– both teams have experienced unprecedented success in recent years. South Florida hockey has never thrived quite like this. Between the two teams, in the past five years, they have three Stanley Cups and five Stanley Cup Final appearances between them.
The Lightning won the President’s Trophy in 2019, hoisted back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, and made it all the way to the final in 2022. The Panthers won the Stanley Cup last season, made it to the final in 2023, and won the President’s Trophy in 2022. The Lightning and the Panthers are two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. And now, they’re both getting to host an outdoor game for their troubles.
Both teams were top ten in terms of attendance last season, with the Florida Panthers seeing an attendance increase of almost 15%. Hosting two outdoor games in the span of 30 days will only improve on an ever-growing hockey market in South Florida. With TV ratings for the Winter Classic on the decline, it’s not a bad idea to try something different and include new teams in outdoor games. Sometimes, change is a good thing. And this is certainly one of those times.
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