MIAMI– It’s starting to look a lot like hockey at LoanDepot Park.
Scoreboards, glass, benches and penalty boxes are all installed in preparation for the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic at the home of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins.
On Tuesday afternoon, the NHL plans to begin laying the ice on which the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers will play in the first outdoor ice hockey game in the Sunshine State on Jan. 2 (8 p.m. ET; HBO Max, truTV, TNT, SNW, SNO, SNE, TVAS).
Like all previous Winter Classics, there are even heated benches for the players, although this being Miami, it’s more out of an abundance of caution than anything else.
“We’re pretty sure we won’t turn them on this time,” Dean Matsuzaki, the NHL’s executive vice president of events, joked Tuesday morning.
Matsuzaki sat above the busy activity on the field where the Marlins usually play baseball. But instead of a baseball field, a hockey rink extends from the right field foul zone to the left.
Soon, the vast areas surrounding the hockey rink will be transformed into a scene where winter wonderland meets South Beach.
Half of the field will represent winter and will include a synthetic ice rink that will be used during the Winter Classic. On the other half, a Florida beach scene will be created with a street hockey rink used.
The ballpark will have a capacity of 35,300 for the Winter Classic.
“Seeing how the rink fits into this field, it really feels very intimate in this building,” Matsuzaki said. “Some of the stadiums we go to are big soccer fields and there’s a little separation. But this park has very few foul zones with the foul posts almost on the field. It’s a narrower field which makes things tighter, so that’s great. It’s a wonderful stadium for this game.”
On Tuesday, the many palm trees that sit just outside the large windows on the east side of the ballpark could be seen swaying in the breeze.
As Matsuzaki spoke, the stadium’s large air conditioning units did their work.
It was 78 degrees outside LoanDepot Park on Tuesday, but entering the Panthers’ home at Amerant Bank Arena, about 35 miles northwest of here in Sunrise.
The NHL brought in not one, but two mobile refrigeration units to aid in the ice-making process.
The stadium’s retractable roof has been closed in recent days, allowing fresh air to accumulate inside.
On the ground, the ice will be constructed on 253 aluminum bins arranged in three rows with pipes running from the bins to the mobile refrigeration units.
The ground itself was cooled, allowing the ice-making process to begin.
“We have talked a lot about climate and it is a big challenge for us,” Matsuzaki said. “That said, thanks to the roof, the waterproof building and the air conditioning, we maintain a much lower temperature than outside. We have mitigated a lot of challenges, but we are monitoring it all very closely.”
At game time, the roof and windows overlooking downtown Miami and Biscayne Bay will open, giving this Winter Classic a very tropical feel.
And for those worried about the Miami heat, there’s some good news on the weather front.
The high in Miami on January 2 is expected to be around 70 degrees, with a low of 56.
There is no rain in the forecast.
“We welcome it,” Matsuzaki said. “We would like (the temperature) to drop a little. We plan to open the roof during the game, so every little bit helps.”
