NHL gambles that Winter Classic ice won't melt under Miami's heat - ESPN

WHEN THE MIAMI MARLINS made a bid to host the NHL's annual Winter Classic at their stadium, LoanDepot Park, they knew they would have to overcome one major obstacle in pitching the idea: Florida's warm and sunny weather. Rather than ignore the obvious hurdle of hosting the league's signature outdoor winter hockey event in the tropics, the team decided to go all in on the theme and submitted a proposal entitled «Miami Ice,» a play on the hit 1980s TV show «Miami Vice.»

«We're not shy of the fact that this is in South Florida. I think that's what makes this unique and novel,» said Anthony Favata, vice president of operations and events for the Marlins. «The vibrancy of the colors of South Beach, of the palm trees, and this juxtaposition of warm weather versus winter. So, we're very much leaning into that.»

The big question was whether South Florida's balmy weather and professional-quality ice hockey could peacefully coexist.

After years of discussions and multiple visits to LoanDepot Park, the league awarded the 2026 Winter Classic to the Marlins, confident that engineers could build an outdoor hockey rink in sunny Miami where the average temperature in January hovers around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Miami will likely have the warmest temperature at the 8 p.m. ET puck drop in the history of the Winter Classic, where the average temperature for all previous sites at puck drop was 33 degrees, but the league and Marlins say they have a plan to ensure the ice will be ready to go on game day. The game will air on TNT.

To build the rink, NHL engineers planned to use multiple generators, two 18-wheeler coolant trucks, approximately 20,000 gallons of water and round-the-clock care starting in mid-December. Compared to other outdoor