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TAMPA, Fla. — Preparations were underway at Raymond James Stadium this week as the Tampa Bay Lightning readied themselves to make history by hosting an outdoor NHL game in Florida for the first time in a professional football stadium.
The Lightning will face the Boston Bruins on Sunday, Feb. 1, in the 2026 NHL Stadium Series, marking the first NHL game ever played in a football stadium in the state.
Aerial footage from Sky 10 captured crews working inside the stadium, revealing the transformation of the football field into an outdoor hockey venue.
For Lightning captain Victor Hedman, the event represents a new kind of challenge for a franchise accustomed to success. Tampa Bay has reached the NHL playoffs in eight consecutive seasons.
“The Lightning has been a team that is looked upon as one of the best in the NHL. So it’s fitting for us to get an outdoor game. That’s for sure,” Hedman said.
Creating a regulation NHL ice surface inside Raymond James Stadium is a complex process that takes about six days just to freeze all the necessary ice. The ice layers will measure between two and three inches thick, nearly double the thickness of a typical indoor NHL rink, to help it withstand Florida’s warmer climate. The surface is built on top of blocks, piping and plywood designed to support refrigeration and temperature control.
“As a player you look at like the bounces off the walls and the ice quality. Is it harder, softer? You can make small adjustments to your skates regarding that in the way you sharpen them,” Hedman said.
Overseeing ice quality are NHL Vice President of Hockey Operations Derek King and Senior Manager of Facilities Operations Andrew Higgins. King said crews will rely on familiar methods used in other outdoor and indoor venues.
“Once the tent is up, we’re going to have some HVAC units, dehumidification units inside the tent — same process that they would do at any other arena,” King said.
Higgins said temperature will be the biggest variable on game day, though forecasts appeared favorable.
“If we’re 75 degrees at puck drop, it will be a bit of a challenge for us. That’s why we brought both of our refrigeration units. Those will be working hard if we’re 75 but forecast looks like we will be mid to low 60s which is pretty much perfect for us,” Higgins said.
Hedman, drafted by the Lightning in 2009, said moments like this were difficult to imagine early in his career. After becoming the first Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman to play in 1,000 NHL games, the two-time Stanley Cup champion will now be part of another milestone for the franchise.
“There is Lightning everywhere. It’s very cool to see what’s it’s gone from when I first got here to where it is today,” Hedman said.
The NHL Stadium Series began in 2014 with a game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
A similar playbook was used in terms of construction and cracking into the history books when the Florida Panthers played a special outdoor game on Jan. 2. The matchup was against the New York Rangers for the 2026 NHL Winter Classic at LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. It was their first game at a baseball stadium.
Additionally, Grammy Award-winning country star Tim McGraw is expected to perform his hit songs “Live Like You Were Dying,” “Something Like That” and “I Like It, I Love It” during the game’s first intermission on a stage alongside the rink.