The origin of the NHL Stadium Series and who plays in the 2026 matchup
Briefly

The 2026 NHL Stadium Series will showcase the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium on February 1, 2026. Established in 2014, the Stadium Series consists of outdoor NHL games in non-traditional and warmer climates. The inaugural event featured the Kings and Ducks at Dodger Stadium, setting a precedent for future outdoor matches. Additionally, the Florida Panthers will face the New York Rangers in the Winter Classic at LoanDepot Park on January 2, 2026, marking a significant year for hockey in Florida.
The Stadium Series has become a popular event in the NHL schedule and has a bit of history going back to 2014. This series involves regular season games held outdoors, designed for non-traditional locations and warmer climates.
The first-ever Stadium Series game pitted the California rivals, the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks at Dodger Stadium. A crowd of 54,099 watched at the Ducks shutout the Kings 3-0, marking the first outdoor game played in a warm climate and west of the Mississippi River.
Read at Puck Prose
[
|
]