Winter Classic latest sign of golden age of Florida Panthers - ESPN

In the span of a week, South Florida has learned that Jimmy Butler no longer wants to play for the Miami Heat and that Tyreek Hill also wants out from the Miami Dolphins.

Amid all of this chaos lies the stability of the Florida Panthers.

Superstars aren't trying to flee the Panthers. They're getting traded and signing contract extensions, which was the case with Matthew Tkachuk. Fans aren't complaining about how the Panthers are struggling to get into the Stanley Cup playoffs. They're the defending Stanley Cup champions, trying to win a consecutive title. Sitting inside Amerant Bank Arena no longer feels like an empty and sterile environment, because the Panthers are selling out every home game for the first time in their history.

This is the golden age of the Florida Panthers.

It's also why the NHL finally decided to not only have the Panthers play in an outdoor game, but host the sport's signature event, the Winter Classic, on Jan. 2, 2026 against the New York Rangers at LoanDepot Park in Miami.

«We are always trying to raise that bar and do something unique,» NHL president of business Keith Wachtel said. «The legacy that it leaves behind in the local market, I think is key. It has great national appeal and quite frankly you hear it all the time. Even though they won a Stanley Cup, unless you get one of those marquee events like an All-Star Game, certainly, but one of these Winter Classic or Stadium Series, it's like another validation for them as an organization.»

The Winter Classic is coming to South Florida