Will Miami be cold enough to open loanDepot park roof for Winter Classic?

The Florida Panthers are hosting the New York Rangers in the NHL’s Winter Classic on Friday, marking the first time the NHL is holding an outdoor hockey game in the Sunshine State.

But there’s one big question: Will it truly be an outdoor spectacle?

The game is being played at Miami’s loanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins. The ballpark has a retractable roof, which is a helpful security blanket in case the weather is not conducive for a game of ice hockey.

In a best-case scenario, the NHL wants the roof open for the game, which is scheduled for an 8 p.m. puck drop and will be broadcast nationally on TNT.

But will the South Florida weather comply?

The forecast right now is looking as promising as it can get considering the location.

As of Tuesday, the expected high temperature in Miami is 74 degrees and the low is 55 degrees. The nighttime forecast calls for just a 4% chance of rain, partly cloudy skies and minimal wind.

“It’s going to be a spectacular night — maybe even a little cold for Florida, but for us, perfect,” Steve Mayer, president of NHL content and events, said Monday. “We’ll be in the low 60s, high 50s, and for an outdoor game that’s absolutely wonderful. We’ll be able to maintain the ice throughout the game. All signs are pointing to us taking the risk out of the equation and being able to put on a great game.”

The NHL has played an outdoor game in temperatures as high as 65 degrees — that one taking place in the 2016 Stadium Series at Denver’s Coors Field between the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche.

If the temperature is at or below that threshold, the goal will be to have the roof open the entire time.

If needed, the retractable roof can be closed mid-game. It takes about 15 minutes to open and close the roof. The ballpark has been kept between 60 and 65 degrees for more than a week now since the NHL began building the ice sheets and constructing the rink.

The league purposely made the ice sheets slightly thicker to accommodate for weather and humidity. NHL senior director of facility and hockey operations Derek King said each sheet of ice will be between 2 and 2-and-a-half inches thick. At NHL arenas, the ice sheets are normally about 1-and-a-half inches thick.

“We have talked about the climate a lot, and that is a big challenge for us,” Dean Matsuzaki, NHL executive vice president of events, said last week. “That said, having the roof, a sealed building, and the air conditioning, we’re maintaining a much lower temperature than it is outside. We’ve mitigated a lot of the challenges, but we are watching it all very closely.

“We would like for [the temperature] to drop a little bit. We have all intentions to open the roof for game time, so, every little bit helps.”

This story was originally published December 30, 2025 at 10:36 AM.