The NHL is about to celebrate the Winter Classic, a tradition since 2008 where an ice hockey match is played at different venues on New Year's, outdoor stadiums used for other sports who are transformed into temporary ice hockey rinks. However, 2026 will be different, because it will be played in Miami, where temperatures are ranging between 12C at night and high temperatures up to 25C or more in January.
The match, between defending Stanley Cup champions Florida Panthers and New York Rangers, has brought excitement for fans in Miami, and according to Sports Business Journal reporter Alex M. Silverman, tickets have sold out 48 hours before the match, with resale prices rising up to $416 for the match to be played on Friday, January 2nd at 20:00 local time (2:00 AM of Saturday, Jan 3 in CET).
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Despite the clear excitement for the match, which will take place at the Loan Depot Park, a baseball stadium, many people have raised concerns about the unnecessary energy waste to have an ice hockey rink outdoors at such warm weather.
To make it possible, the roof of the stadium has been closed for three weeks while building the ice rink, and will only open before the match start tonight. An expert in ecological transition in sports, Maël Besson, told L'Equipe that it's similar to the "to air conditioning in Qatari stadiums, skiing in Saudi Arabia, or golf in the desert"(via Marca).
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Following the match on January 2, there will be another NHL match played outdoors in Tampa on February 1, between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins, played at the Raymond James Stadium, usually home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL.
Do you think it's worth the expense in air conditioning to build and maintain an ice hockey at such temperatures?