Jan 01, 2026
3 min read
The Winter Classic and Stadium Series will cross Florida off the list.Here are our thoughts for the next episode.
The NHL will cross the long-awaited market from its roster of outdoor games, hosting the first such game in Florida on Friday.The Florida Panthers will host the New York Rangers in the Winter Classic at LoanDepot Park, home of MLB's Miami Marlins.
Baseball and football stadiums typically add an extra layer of charm and uniqueness to the aerial visuals of the game itself - the view from Fenway Park in 2023 will forever be one of the most iconic.Then the Stadium Series games will be broadcast on February 1, when the Tampa Bay Lightning will host the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Now that we can all wish our "Florida" lists, here are the top five places we'd like to see an outdoor NHL game take place:
1. Utah. It's going to be great - think of Rice-Eccles Stadium and those amazing views. The Mammoths are building something special in the country, and owner Ryan Smith can be a great representative of this type of game. I hope they appear on the list in the near future.
2. Rideau Canal.I know the NHL is a business — you can sell 90,000-100,000 tickets to a stadium game — but I can't get the image of outdoor games in Lake Tahoe out of my head.The scene was impressive (even if it was out of necessity due to social distancing restrictions during the pandemic).
A preseason game with the Ottawa Senators, played near an iconic Canadian landmark (people literally skate to work on the canal in the winter) would be awesome.
3. Istanbul.Well, that particular place reminds me of my Turkish heritage, but I'd like to explore outdoor places outside of North America.What about soccer stadiums in hockey-loving countries like Sweden, Finland or the Czech Republic?Or Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers play at Allianz Arena in Munich, home of Bayern Munich.Imagine.Of course, it all comes down to dollars and (with) sense, but that kind of hypothetical wish list makes me dream big.
4. VR Environment.I'm a big fan of alternative broadcasting -- and I was able to be a reporter for the Big City Green Classic, a memory I will cherish forever.To sum it up on "outside," imagine a giant sound studio surrounded by volumetric walls where NHL games are played and fans decide where they play. They could be anywhere -- the digital Colosseum in Rome, Sydney Harbor, Mars, Tatooine.The possibilities are endless.
5. Other neutral places.In 2019, the NHL hosted the Heritage Classic outdoor game between the Winnipeg Jets and the Calgary Flames in Regina, Saskatchewan (350 miles from Winnipeg and 460 miles from Calgary).What about Atlanta, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Quebec and other cities that don't currently have NHL teams?Or what about other college football stadiums?These usually have a rich history.and beauty.
Games of the week
What do I enjoy this weekend?
Hart Trophy Nominees
Social post of the week
Big games of the week
The Oilers are my team to watch this week.Will Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl continue to tear it up and will the Oilers take sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division?They are one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights, but have played three more games.This week they have:
The Jets on Monday are a winnable game against a struggling team that is 2-5-3 in its last 10.
The Bruins on Wednesday, who should see Morgan Gecko march toward 50 goals but find themselves 4-5-1 in their last 10, including three straight losses.
The Philadelphia Flyers, who sit in third place in a very crowded Metro Division.
Other top sports to watch
7 p.m.THE |+
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8 and |+ evening
7 pm
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12 o'clock AND |ABC/+
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Oh, I loved it this weekend
For this to happen, many things had to happen in perfect order, and they did.And this goalkeeper was simply in the right place at the wrong time.
In the KHL, a player hits an opposing player on his bench, and that player scores a backup goal.What luck!
A pretty unique friendly fire 🧐 pic.twitter.com/hMXiqkCBOj
— KHL (@khl_eng) December 26, 2025
Candidates for the Hart Trophy if the season ended today
Connor McDavid is on an 11-game point streak where he has 31 points!It's his most points in an 11-game stretch over the past 25 seasons - his 2021-22.Last Tuesday, he had a five-assist game in the Battle of Alberta, making him the fourth Oiler player to have a career-high five assists in a game;Wayne Gretzky had 12, Paul Coffey 2 and Leon Draisaitl 2. McDavid is a favorite for Hart, pass...
Nathan MacKinnon, who is now second with 64 points (McDavid has 68).MacKinnon had a slow week by his standards with eight points in five games and was on the scoresheet against Utah, snapping an eight-game point streak.
I'm keeping Maclin Celebrini as my third pick, knowing Draisaitl is pushing him as well, with 12 points in his last five games to finish one point behind Celebrini.Mack remains in this group to complete the 2025 schedule.He has 11 points in the last five matches.
Weekend social media posts
Hats off to the Toronto Maple Leafs manager! Some people have classified the Maple Leafs as a six-man team, but social media workers have thought outside the box with some interesting details. I can't explain why, but his ZamCam POV posts throughout the Christmas season were hilarious:
POV: You wanted ZamCam to feel more real pic.twitter.com/KLDAAdP13t
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 25, 2025
This week's taps go to Gord and Everett Brady, two young players in the Greater Toronto Area.Gord is a forward (switches between center and right wing) with the u15A Bruce Gray Bulls.Everett is the goalie for the Gray Bulls U11B team.Gord scored in the semifinals of a September tournament, while Everett made 42 saves in his team's first win of the regular season on Dec. 3.
Keep crushing it, guys!
