With the Columbus Blue Jackets scheduled to host the Detroit Red Wings in the 2025 Stadium Series, only two NHL teams have never played an outdoor game. Those would be the Florida Panthers and the Arizona Coyotes turned Utah Hockey Club. Looks like Florida might be joining the list as early as next season.
Elliotte Friedman reported on Tuesday that commissioner Gary Bettman said the Florida Panthers are “closing in” on hosting a game “as soon as next season”. Bettman adressed the idea with enthusiasm when asked during last season's Stanley Cup final. The potential venue already seems to have been chosen with LoanDepot Park, home of MLB’s Miami Marlins. Not only does LoanDepot Park have a retractable roof but it also has air conditioning to keep the arena nice and cool. The Marlins share some interesting history with the Panthers and partnered together on a "Panthers Night" game during this year’s baseball season.
If the roof is closed, is it really an “outdoor” game? The only NHL outdoor game to ever be played in a retractable roof stadium with the roof closed was the 2014 Heritage Classic between the Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators. The only other NHL outdoor game to be played in a retractable roof stadium was the 2024 Winter Classic between the Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, home of MLB’s Seattle Mariners. The roof was left open for that game.
Miami’s weather doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand with “outdoor” hockey, but here’s another idea: What if the game was played at night? Temperatures (in Fahrenheit, for our non-American readers to consider) would be significantly cooler, especially during the winter months. Normal “low” temperatures for the first three months of the calendar year are in the mid to high 60s. That might be significantly warmer than most hockey fans are used to that time of year, but its low enough that ice could survive. The NHL’s first “official” outdoor game, a 1991 preseason game in the parking lot of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas between the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers, saw the temperature at puck drop of 84 degrees Fahrenheit.
Having the game at night also takes away the concern of glare. Remember back during the 2015 Winter Classic between the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals when game time was almost delayed over concerns of the suns reflection off the ice? Players wore eye black like their MLB counterparts. Having the game after the sun goes down takes that worry away. For the record, the temperature during that 2015 game was in the low 40s.
If the roof at LoanDepot Park is kept closed, would this open the door for other stadiums with roofs to host “outdoor” games? Think of games being held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas or Ford Field in Detroit. Both are NFL stadiums with permanently closed roofs. Maybe the Utah Hockey Club will be chosen as the Panthers opponent for this suspected game, giving all current 32 teams a chance to finally have an outdoor game in their history.