1 month ago
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MIAMI (AP) — The Florida Panthers arrived in Ferraris, cigars lit, dressed in all-white “Miami Vice” attire — and, in true South Florida fashion, fashionably late.
The New York Rangers followed suit, stepping into loanDepot Park in their own whites and sunglasses.
With that, the 2026 Winter Classic was underway in warm, humid Miami.
At loanDepot Park, home of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins, an expected sold-out crowd — with celebrity attendees that included former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady — had already begun filling the streets hours before the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers were set to host the Rangers in the first outdoor game to take place in Florida.
The retractable roof on the ballpark — which had been shut while air conditioning was piped in to help ice builders create a playing surface suitable for hockey — opened just before puck drop, revealing a clear dark sky with the Miami skyline hovering behind the ballpark. Artificial snow cascaded into the stands, accompanied by pyrotechnics and a performance by Puerto Rican artist Luis Fonsi.
“They said it couldn’t be done,” the public address announcer shouted in front of a roaring crowd. “They said it shouldn’t be done. But tonight, history and modern science meet here in the Sunshine State.”
After a ceremonial puck drop by Hall of Famer R...
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