NHL Unveils Climate-Controlled Rink Plan for Tampa Stadium Series

The outdoor game between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning on 1 February is creating great excitement, especially with the fast-approaching 2026 NHL Stadium Series. However, this year's event is distinct not only because of its matchup but also due to the innovative rink-building plan for the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, home to the NFL’s Buccaneers, that the NHL announced.

Open-Air Hockey in Florida: A Different Gastly Challenge

Flouting hockey into Florida's outdoors isn't exactly simple. Ice conditions can be swayed by heat, humidity, sunshine, and rain; thus, the NHL will conduct its preparations rather differently. As stated on January 10 in a media release, the league will construct a regulation-size rink inside a steel-framed, climate-controlled enclosure built directly on the stadium grass.

The temporary structure will have an internal height of 34 feet, a width of 125 feet, and a length of 240 feet. The company GNB Global based in Texas is designing this tent, which will then be de rigueur dismantled before the puck drops for a true outdoor hockey fanfare.

Very Different Setup from Winter Classic

This is only the second outdoor hockey event ever to be staged in Florida this calendar year, the first being the Winter Classic in Miami in early January. Yet unlike in the Winter Classic venue, Raymond James has no retractable roof, leaving crews unable to control the ice via shade from or temperature control from the stadium itself.

Alternatively, the refrigerated tent gives the ice technicians the opportunity to build and maintain the ice surface before it is finally exposed to the outdoor environment on the actual day of the game.

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NHL Officials Describe the Build as Being "Cool" and "Ambitious"

According to Derek King, NHL Senior VP of Hockey Operations, The fact that they got to build the rink in Tampa excited a lot of people in the league's operations group.

King said:

"Building the ice for NHL outdoor games is always exciting, but this one is cool to us. The idea is to be able to control those elements right up until the last second until that tent comes off. "Fan are going to love what they see when that tent comes off for game day."

Steve Mayer, the league's president of content and events, also praised the project and called it one of the most ambitious builds the league has ever attempted. He is convinced that difficult conditions and compressed timelines will add to the uniqueness of the event and that fans will see something entirely different when it comes to outdoor hockey.

Two Teams Eyeing Playoff Berths Set for Outdoor Showcase

On February 1, the Bruins and Lightning are both in the hunt for playoff positioning as it airs in the United States on ESPN and in Canada on Sportsnet.