How Panthers landed NHL's southernmost outdoor game -- and how they're pulling it off

MIAMI — What was once thought of as a pipe dream for hockey fans in South Florida is about to finally become reality.

Outdoor hockey is happening in Miami on Friday.

The Florida Panthers (21-15-3) will host the New York Rangers (19-18-5) at loanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. with the game broadcast on TNT.

It’s the first time the Panthers are taking part in an outdoor game, let alone hosting one. It’s the southernmost outdoor game of the 44 the NHL has fielded.

But, surprisingly, it might not be the warmest.

Temperatures at puck drop Friday are expected to be in the low-60s. The warmest outdoor game held was the 2016 Stadium Series in Denver between the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings — it was 65 degrees that night at Coors Field.

“I know it’s cliche, but it’s like little kids at Christmas,” Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito said, when asked to describe what the feeling is like going into the game. “It’s anticipating this wonderful celebration of our game on all the levels and with our families and with our friends and new fans and our fans.”

But how did the Panthers get here? How did they and the NHL manage to pull this off? It’s an event that was years in the making.

The pitch

While the Panthers did a lot of heavy lifting to make this dream a reality, their in-state rival actually gets credit for first putting the idea of outdoor hockey in Florida in the NHL’s head.

Tampa hosted the All-Star Game in 2018. At the conclusion of the festivities, the Tampa Sports Commission paid for a billboard near the airport.

“Thank you, NHL! Next time, let’s go outside the box,” the sign read accompanied by NHL Stadium Series signage.

Advancements in technology — and an uptick in fan support throughout the state thanks to the success of both teams — ultimately made things feasible.

“We just kept on talking about it,” said Steve Mayer, the NHL’s president for events and content. “And then we got a lot more comfortable with the ice build, the temperatures — we did a lot of research; this just doesn’t happen — and now we’re here. I can’t believe we’re here, but we are.”

As for the Panthers’ side of things, seeds were planted informally a few years ago. Former Panthers president and CEO Matt Caldwell (now with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx) and Marlins president of business operations Caroline O’Connor were in lockstep on trying to make this a reality. Marlins owner Bruce Sherman, who has a relationship with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, got involved with the pitch as well.

“We just looked to show that the entire organization, top to bottom, was behind getting this event and really delivering it in a way that was going to make the NHL proud,” O’Connor said. “We were a full force. ... It was just a full-court press by all of us.”

Marlins senior vice president of operations and events Anthony Favata said the Marlins worked with the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau a few years ago to create a one-sheeter to present to the NHL to basically say “Wouldn’t this be cool?”

“We showed the field with a design of what hockey could look like inside loanDepot park,” Favata said. “At the time, we knew it wouldn’t be an immediate decision, but we knew that we were planting the foundation for the future and just kept after it.”

When the Panthers hosted the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise, multiple Marlins executives, including O’Connor, met with Bettman to further the conversation.

The Panthers’ success on the ice definitely helped sway things, too. That season the Panthers hosted the All-Star Game also ended up being the first of three consecutive runs to the Stanley Cup Final, with Florida winning it all each of the past two seasons.

Between the Panthers and Lightning, the Sunshine State has been represented in each of the past six Stanley Cup Finals.

“It definitely helps when they continue to be a powerhouse and win the Stanley Cup,” Favata said. “But when that happened, it was really our time to strike even harder. We said, ‘Guys, now’s the time.’ Hockey’s at an all-time high in South Florida.”

The formal bid was finally approved. The league made the announcement Jan. 8 that the Panthers and Lightning would each get their own outdoor game about a month apart.

Florida plays on Friday. The Lightning hosts the Boston Bruins in a Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1.

“The Panthers and Lightning have told us repeatedly that they and their fans want this special experience,” Bettman said in announcing the games. “Florida, we’re bringing our unique events to you.”

The execution

While it took meticulous work to actually turn loanDepot park into a hockey rink.

The ballpark’s retractable roof was closed and the air conditioning was on full blast for the better park of two weeks while the ice was created.

The league used two portable refrigeration units to create the ice, which is slightly thicker than at normal NHL arenas (each sheet is about 2 1/2 inches thick compared to 1 1/2 inches).

After the rink was completed over the weekend, the NHL on Tuesday tested out how the ice would hold up with the roof and retractable glass windows in the outfield open. Everything worked out without issue.

“I think we learned that we’re in a pretty good spot,” NHL executive vice president of events Dean Matsuzaki told NHL.com. “There are a couple things we want to button up. We may have had a couple flamingo casualties, so we may need a few more flamingos. But all is good, and we will adapt and adjust.”

The experience

The NHL is leaning heavily into the Florida flair for the Winter Classic. The field surrounding the rink is split in two.

Sandy beach meets frozen tundra. Swimwear meets parkas. Summer meets winter. Iguanas and flamingos meet frozen ponds.

“All of the thematics you would think,” Mayer said. “So, half the field is going to be a Miami Beach with lifeguard stands, umbrellas and cabanas and swimming pools. On the other side it’s as if a huge snowstorm has hit Miami, and that’s the dynamic we’re going to have fun with throughout the game. ... Everything we do is going to lean into half the field being in the cold and half the field being in the hot, and maybe – maybe — for those on one side of the field, you may get snowed on.”

Snow, you say?

The NHL is being mum about the specifics on this one, but yes, the plan is to simulate snow at the ballpark.

“We’re going to have fun,” Mayer said. “We like to make it an interactive experience from the time you walk into the building to the time you leave, and we like to have fun. We take it seriously, but we also want people to have a big smile on their face and be entertained. This is a show. There’s a hockey game that goes on, and that is so important. I mean, this is a big game, Panthers-Rangers; when we’re in April, this could be a game that determines whether a team makes the playoffs or not.

“But we also know that people are here for an experience — for something different — and we’re going to give it to them, and we’re going to have some fun along the way.”

The Panthers got their first in-person glimpse Thursday when they practiced for about 45 minutes on the ice and then went back to the rink in a more casual setting for a family skate.

On Friday, everything will be for real.

An outdoor ice hockey game. In Florida. It’s happening.

“The ice was fantastic,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “I don’t know how they pull it off. And you can feel it. Like, we tried to make this with our team as much fun as we can make it.”