The Florida Panthers arrived in Ferraris, cigars lit, dressed in all-white Miami Vice attire — and, in true South Florida fashion, fashionably late.

Setting The Stage As the NHL calendar turns to January, the focus turns toward one of hockey’s most cherished traditions: the Winter Classic. Tonight, the New York Rangers face off against the Florida Panthers under the open sky of loanDepot Park in Miami,

The New York Rangers face the Florida Panthers in the NHL Winter Classic on Friday night at LoanDepot Park.

The New York Rangers and Florida Panthers take center stage at Miami’s LoanDepot Park for the NHL’s 2026 Winter Classic.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NHL game 10,000 times and is on a profitable 25-17 betting run on top-rated money-line and over/under NHL picks. Anyone following its NHL betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Each day, our writers here at Last Word On Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and trends, then makes predictions based on how the game might play out.

It's a new year for the Winnipeg Jets, but they're at the opposite end of where they were to start 2025, and it might be too challenging to salvage their season.