The Winter Classic in Miami has officially sold out.
This weekend, the NHL is hosting the first-ever outdoor hockey game in Florida, as the Florida Panthers take on the NY Rangers for the annual Winter Classic at Loan Depot Park in Miami.
Earlier this week, the media got a preview of the hockey rink inside of Loan Depot Park.
@jzosports Hockey rink at Marlins loan Depot Park for @NHL Winter Clsssic #winterclassic
Fans of the Winter Classic, which is normally played outdoors in the extreme cold, criticized the NHL for playing the game in Miami.
Friendly reminder to the @NHL that the Winter Classic should ALWAYS be played outdoors.
What is this crap? pic.twitter.com/e1YH2CGGDS
— OutlawPatriot (@OutlawPatriotX) December 31, 2025
“The @NHL has lost the plot with the Winter Classic. This game should always be played far enough north to keep the spectacle of playing hockey outdoors alive. There’s so much cool winter scenery in North America, and we’re having this game in Miami. Where is it next yr? Jamaica?” commented one fan.
“Roof open or not, the #WinterClassic being inside is terrible.” said another fan.
Despite the critics, the NHL announced that the game in Miami has sold out.
The NHL announces that Friday’s Winter Classic in Miami is sold out…capacity around 36k pic.twitter.com/jsFFs1EkJN
— George Richards (@GeorgeRichards) December 31, 2025
Ticket prices on the secondary market have skyrocketed, and the get-in price fora ticket the day before the game was at $419.
I’m told the current get-in price of $416 for Friday’s @NHL Winter Classic in Miami between the Panthers and Rangers is the highest ever for a Winter Classic with 48 hours to go. The game officially sold out this morning, and LoanDepot Park has a relatively low capacity of ~36k. pic.twitter.com/XxNbWEEyk6
— Alex M. Silverman🏒⚽️ (@AlexMSilverman) January 1, 2026