MIAMI (AP) — The Florida Panthers arrived in a Ferrari, cigars lit, dressed in crisp white Miami Vice gear — and, in true South Florida style, fashionably late.
The New York Rangers followed suit, entering LandDepot Park wearing their white uniforms and sunglasses.
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However, the 2026 Winter Classic was held in warm and humid Miami.
At LandDepot Park, home of Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins, a sold-out crowd of 36,153, including celebrities including former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady, had already begun to fill the streets hours before the Rangers beat the defending champion Panthers 5-1 on Friday night in first outdoor game will take place in Florida.
The stadium's retractable roof, which had been closed while air conditioning was installed to help ice builders create a playing surface suitable for hockey, opened just before the puck dropped, revealing a clear, dark sky with the Miami skyline hovering behind the stadium. Artificial snow cascaded into the stands, accompanied by pyrotechnics and a performance by Puerto Rican artist Luis Fonsi.
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“They said it was impossible,” the announcer shouted to the roaring crowd. “They said we shouldn't do it. But today, history and modern science meet here in the Sunshine State.”
After the ceremonial introduction of the puck by Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo, play continued.
“I never would have thought that I would be playing at the Winter Classic in Miami and being a part of this cool event,” said Florida center Anton Lundell, wearing a baby pink shirt and a pastel blue handkerchief to complement his all-white suit. “Obviously we still have a game left, but everything that went into this game was amazing. It was a very unique experience and one that we will all remember for the rest of our lives.”
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While nowhere near as cold as past Winter Classics, the temperature at puck drop was 63 degrees Fahrenheit, marking the second-warmest outdoor NHL game ever.
Rangers forward Will Kiley said the plan was to look like a day at the beach, but swimwear didn't hurt. He added that this was not professional enough.
“We thought all white would be a good idea,” he said.
Florida coach Paul Maurice arrived in what he jokingly described as “suitable” transportation.
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“I was happy on the bus,” Maurice said before Friday's game.
But on the way to the stadium, Maurice took in the surroundings: palm trees with nicknames lining the outside of the stadium and thousands of fans dressed in Rangers and Panthers uniforms. In decades past, it would have been hard to imagine such a scene in South Florida, where the back-to-back success of the defending champion Panthers helped grow hockey's popularity exponentially.
“It took me about 10 minutes to think about the idea,” Maurice said. “How different the game was 30 years ago, 20 years ago, when you're in Miami, your whole team gets in a Ferrari. I really didn't think there would be so many fans outside. It was like our version of a parade.”
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“It's amazing. The game itself – not just in Florida – but the pure hockey game, to me, is better than ever.”
Full circle
For Panthers general manager and president of hockey operations Bill Zito, the “miracle” game he said was a full-circle moment. His career began in baseball, and on Friday his team played on the baseball field.
Zito was a batboy for the Milwaukee Brewers in the early 1980s and still credits general manager Harry Dalton for launching a career that would see him become an agent and then one of the game's top executives.
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“The lessons I learned from this experience impact me, and through me, our organization every day,” Zito said. “I wouldn’t be here today if I weren’t lucky.”
However, his baseball journey was a long time ago. When he first arrived at LandDepot Park to see the environment, he asked where the locker rooms were. This term is not used in baseball.
“I forgot,” Zito said. “This is a club.”
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AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds contributed.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Alanis Thames, Associated Press
