Could the Winter Class be heading down South?

During the 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet insiders Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek discussed the possibility of the NHL hosting a Winter Classic in Florida between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Panthers.

"I know the league has investigated it and the biggest problem that I've heard is that they're worried they couldn't do it just cause of the weather, the humidity. I think they would love to do it," they said.

The difficulty of making this happen would be the weather, as Friedman and Marek mentioned. The average high temperature in Florida during the month of January is 24 degrees Celsius, while the average low temperature is 14 degrees Celsius.

If the NHL were to host a Winter Classic in Florida, the most ideal location would be LoanDepot Park, home of Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins. LoanDepot Park has a retractable roof, so if weather were to be an issue that the rink's cooling system couldn't handle, then closing that roof could be an option.


The NHL has yet to announce a host for the 2023 Winter Classic, so it's possible that a Panthers vs Lightning outdoor game is in the works.

Friedman & Marek on 32TP asked about a potential Winter Classic in FLA (TB vs FLA):

I know the league has investigated it and the biggest problem that I've heard is that they're worried they couldn't do it just cause of the weather, the humidity. I think they would love to do it— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) January 22, 2022