The Tampa Bay Lightning's acquisition of star winger Jake Guentzel is paying off in spades, and the Bolts look like a team no one should want to face off against in the playoffs.

It had been unofficial chatter for a few weeks now, but the NHL has finally confirmed that the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning will host outdoor games during the 2025-26 season.

The Tampa Bay Lightning face a difficult challenge ahead with two back-to-back contests in their upcoming four-game road trip.

The Anaheim Ducks wrapped up a disappointing road trip with a matchup, the first game of a home-and-home series, against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers. The Ducks were coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, which brought their point tally to three on their season-long six-game road trip.

Hockey. Outdoors. In Florida. Next season, the NHL is making it happen twice. The NHL announced Wednesday that the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers will play host to the New York Rangers at loanDepot Park in Miami on Jan.

Spencer Knight makes 34 saves for his second shutout of the season, leading the Florida Panthers to a 3-0 victory over the struggling Anaheim Ducks.

Each of the Panthers’ past seven games has either been decided by one goal or was a one-goal game until the winning team scored on an empty net.

The NHL is bringing not one but two outdoor games to Florida next season with a pair of games in the ‘Sunshine State of Hockey.’ To celebrate the success of two its biggest sunbelt success stories, the NHL will have both the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning play host to outdoor games in two

The NHL announced Wednesday that the Florida Panthers will host the 2026 Winter Classic, facing the New York Rangers on Jan. 2 at loanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins. “Our time has come that we deserve an outdoor game,” Panthers president and CEO Matt Caldwell said. “We’re fired up to have it right here locally.”

MIAMI (AP) — Hockey. Outdoors. In Florida. Next season, the NHL is making it happen — twice. “Stanley Cups, strings of sellouts and the exponential growth of youth and high school hockey ...

Robby Fabbri, Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson score for the Ducks, who fall to 1-3-1 on their six-game trip when Guentzel scores the only goal for either team in the shootout to hand them a 4-3 defeat.

Classic will feature the Panthers against the Rangers at the Miami Marlins' home park and the Stadium Series game will be played between the Lightning and Bruins at the home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.