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The rumors turned out to be true and the NHL made it official on Wednesday: outdoor hockey is coming to the Sunshine State not once, but twice next season.

But while we all had the sense that this was coming, the announcement did bring some interesting tidbits of info.

Let’s start with the game that will happen first, and that is the NHL Winter Classic, which will take place at LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. Obviously, the Florida Panthers will be the hosts, and they’ll be taking on the New York Rangers.

That has the potential to be an interesting matchup, and it will be great to see the Cats finally get outdoors. I’m anxious to see what their jerseys look like. The ‘90s throwback would be cool, but maybe they’ll tip their caps to the Miami Screaming Eagles, who were supposed to be part of the World Hockey Association but never played a game before skipping town and becoming the Philadelphia Blazers.

Either way, it’ll be cool.

But what was most intriguing was the date. You may have noticed that the game will take place on January 2.

The league has held the Winter Classic on January 2 before, but this will be the third different date in as many years, with the 2024 Winter Classic coming on January 1 and the 2025 editing (which was about a week ago) being played on New Year’s Eve.

The NHL has had some trouble getting things to work from a TV ratings perspective, so hopefully, this works.

The Lightning Will Host A Stadium Series Game At Raymond James Stadium

Once the Winter Classic is in the books, the NHL’s ice-making equipment doesn’t need to travel too far because one month later, there will be another outdoor game on the other side of the state.

This time, the Tampa Bay Lightning will host their first-ever outdoor game and play in their second overall when they welcome the Boston Bruins to Raymond James Stadium on February 1.

I think I speak for all of us when I say I can’t wait to see how this works. Outdoor games have caused some headaches if it’s warm or if the sun is bright, and that could especially be an issue in Tampa because Raymond James Stadium doesn’t have a retractable roof.

Still, these outdoor games are about the spectacle, and watching a game with palm trees in the background will certainly fit that bill.