NHL puts on a great show in first outdoor game in Florida | D'Angelo

6 days ago 2

MIAMI — When searching for a theme for a grand entrance to an outdoor hockey game in South Florida, only two names come to mind:

Crockett and Tubbs.

For those who do not understand the reference, google it. Because that is exactly what Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones did when he learned the Panthers chose a "Miami Vice' theme to arrive at the home of the Miami Marlins for their Winter Classic showcase with the New York Rangers on the second day of the new year.

"Had to google it," said Jones, who was born a decade after Miami Vice debuted.

Besides sporting the cool style popularized by the show's characters Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs, played by Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas — white linen blazers and pants, mostly pink t-shirts and sunglasses — the organization provided several exotic sports cars for the players to drive to Little Havana with a police escort. With two to four to a car, the team arrived in what coach Paul Maurice described as a parade.

"It was an awesome spectacle," said Maurice, who opted to arrive the old fashioned way … in a bus. "They kind of came up with it on their own. They're not afraid to show some personality understanding the context when the puck drops it's on and we've got to win this game."

More: Holiday gift ideas for Florida sports fans? Check out these commemorative books

That's where the fun ended, at least for the Panthers.

The Rangers had Florida in their version of a vice all night in a 5-1 win.

New York took a 2-0 lead with two goals within 64 seconds late in the first period, by Mika Zibanejad on the power play and Artemi Panarin, and the game never got closer.

Zibanejad's second of the game 58 seconds into the second period stretched the Rangers lead to 3-0 and he closed with an empty netter giving him the first hat trick in Winter Classic history.

By then, most Panthers fans already had headed to the exits, a feeling Marlins fans know all too well.

'Brilliant, absolutely brilliant,' Paul Maurice says about Winter Classic

Typical of the season, the Panthers saw another man go down when Jones, who was named to the U.S. team for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan earlier in the day, left in the second period and did not return after being hit in the upper chest with the puck. Jones was playing in his 900th NHL game.

For Maurice, who said an update on Jones would be coming but it "doesn't look terrible," the disappointment of the loss was somewhat tempered by the "spectacle" of the night.

"That was brilliant, absolutely brilliant," Maurice said about the NHL's ability to put on a Winter Classic. "Spectacular memories. This is an incredible event.

"I imagine the Rangers really loved it."

The game was the first played outdoors in Florida. Although fans arrived at the home of the Marlins with the roof and windows closed, the league insisted an outdoor game never would be playing indoors.

So about 20 minutes before the puck drop, as the Zamboni was cleaning the ice that took three weeks to make, test and perfect, the windows opened exposing the Miami skyline.

Moments later, the roof parted allowing in the unseasonably cool (63 degrees at puck drop) and dry air, conditions that, considering the possibilities, were as good as the league could have hoped.

The entire process took less than 15 minutes and ended with artificial snow falling on the crowd of 36,153, a sellout, which is one more sellout than the Marlins had the last two baseball seasons combined in the same building.

Panthers defenseman Seth Jones and center Anton Lundell before the Winter Classic.

The theme surrounding the game typically is tailored to the local team. This one was a nod to the tropical Miami climate and wintery New York.

The park was divided down the middle with the warmth of South Florida illustrated by palm trees, beach chairs, a lifeguard tower, surfboards and a street hockey rink in left field. Flamingos, pelicans and iguanas were scattered across the field.

The right side was covered in white with children skating on a small sheet of synthetic ice in right field.

Kind of South Beach takes on a Central Park in January vibe.

"I think it's pretty cool," Rangers forward Will Cuylle said. "The game has grown so much in Florida over the past couple of years with their recent success. They've kind of earned the right to have an outdoor game."

That recent success, of course, has been going to the Stanley Cup Final three consecutive years and winning the last two.

Players critical of the ice at loanDepot Park before game

Cuylle was critical of the ice after a practice the day before the game, saying it was “pretty bad and pretty slow.” He walked back that statement on game day, saying it "got chewed up," with both teams holding a practice and family members allowed to skate, and would be better for the game.

Teammate Vincent Trocheck may not agree with Cuylee's about face. On the Rangers third goal, Trocheck fell with no one near him, sliding from blue line to blue line on his backside. Yet, he still was able to control the puck and made the pass for the first assist on Zibanejad's second goal.

Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen gave the ice a lukewarm review following the game.

"I didn't mind it," he said. "It was OK. Better than I thought it would be."

But not as good as everything around the frozen surface.

"Great setup," Luostarinen said, before adding, "other than the score."

Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: NHL Winter Classic: Rangers top Panthers in Florida's 1st outdoor game

Read Entire Article