It’s been officially announced by the NHL that the 2026 Winter Classic will see the Florida Panthers host the New York Rangers at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida on January 2nd, 2026.
The NHL’s scheduling in recent years suggested that the Panthers would likely play the Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, or the Montreal Canadiens – matching up with all-three teams around the end of December, early January.
This will be the first time the Panthers have participated in the event, the third time for the Rangers (2012, 2018).
While the Los Angeles Kings have competed in three Stadium Series outdoor games (including the inaugural event on January 25th, 2014, at Dodger Stadium), they have yet to play in the Winter Classic. What differentiates the two events are primarily the jerseys and venue decorations – the Winter Classic an homage to the past and the Stadium Series a dreary view of the future with a musical soundtrack by KISS.
In the last four seasons, the Kings have played: the Vegas Golden Knights, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New Jersey Devils around the beginning/end of the calendar year.
Of that group, Vegas, Philadelphia, and Toronto have participated in a Winter Classic.
All-three Canadian teams (Vancouver, Edmonton, and Toronto) have competed in the Heritage Classic – a Winter Classic-esque event featuring Canadian franchises.
Vancouver, Philadelphia, Colorado, Toronto, and New Jersey have all competed in a Stadium Series game.
In summary, every team the Kings could face have competed in some form of an outdoor event.
Every original six franchise has competed in a Winter Classic game, as have five-of-the-six 1967 expansion teams (Oakland and Minnesota merged, later moving to Dallas). The only team who hasn’t is… you guessed it… the Los Angeles Kings.
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LOS ANGELES KINGS vs. COLORADO AVALANCHE
We saw these two play one another at the 2020 Stadium Series, held on February 15th, 2020, in Colorado at Falcon Stadium – home of the United States Air Force Academy Falcons. For that reason, this rematch is unlikely to happen any time soon.
Falcon Stadium is one of the older venues in Colorado, which would have made it an ideal candidate for the Winter Classic. The NHL hasn’t shied away from double dipping on the use of venues, Michigan Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Park, and Target Field all having hosted the Winter Classic twice.
Folsom Field – home of the University of Colorado Buffaloes – opened in 1924 and would also be a viable option.
Yet, I think the NHL would prefer tapping into a big market like Los Angeles. Dodger Stadium (1962) could be used, but the sightlines aren’t ideal. Venues like the Rose Bowl (1922) or the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (1923) would certainly meet the nostalgia requirement but they present their own challenges; like the annual Rose Bowl game taking place on New Years Day. That said, the league is probably more apprehensive about attendance than anything.
LOS ANGELES KINGS vs. VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Ideally, the NHL would like to have the Winter Classic at the aforementioned Rose Bowl or Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Yet, they would settle (and yes, I do mean settle) for BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia – which hosted the 2014 Heritage Classic game between the Canucks and the Ottawa Senators on March 2nd, 2024.
The indoor stadium does have a retractable roof. However, it doesn’t open across the length of the field, a deterrent for the NHL who specifically want to host outdoor games outdoors.
Back in 2019, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman held a press conference and was asked about the potential for a Winter Classic in Seattle (which ultimately happened in 2024).
“There are two things that are a problem for [the NHL] with outdoor games: sun glare and rain,” said Bettman. “We can play in snow, rain is a problem.” When pressed further about having the event at T-Mobile Park with the roof closed, Bettman quickly retorted, “[Sure], but then it’s not an outdoor game.”
Vancouver, just three hours from Seattle, would elicit the same response. Case in point, at the 2014 Heritage Classic, the roof remained closed.
LOS ANGELES KINGS vs. EDMONTON OILERS
That brings us to Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta – home of the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) Edmonton Elks.
The venue opened in 1978 and has hosted two Heritage Classics (2003, 2023). That certainly checks off the nostalgia box. Factor in the storied history between the Oilers and the Kings and you’ve really got something to work with.
The two clubs’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliates faced one another in the Three-Way Chevrolet Condorstown Outdoor Classic in 2017 where the Bakersfield Condors hosted the Ontario Reign. It rained a couple of times throughout the night, resulting in a slushy ice terrain.
I guess that’s better than grasshoppers?
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The Winter Classic is presented by NHL on TNT. With a matchup of this magnitude, on a grand stage, hosted by Wayne Gretzky, the marketing for a Kings vs. Oilers Winter Classic writes itself.
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