Lightning to Play the Bruins Outdoors in 2026 Stadium Series – The Hockey Writers – NHL News

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The Tampa Bay Lightning announced today that they are scheduled to host the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1, 2026.

This landmark event will be part of a month-long celebration of hockey in the state of Florida, which will kick off on Jan. 2, 2026, in Miami at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, with the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers taking part in the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic.

Raymond James Stadium opened in 1998 and is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) and the University of South Florida football program. The seating capacity for most sporting events is 69,218, though it can be expanded to about 75,000 for special events with the addition of temporary seating. The stadium was built at public expense as a replacement for Tampa Stadium and is known for the replica pirate ship located behind the seating area in the north end zone.

The 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series will be the first outdoor regular season game in Tampa Bay. The Lightning have appeared in one previous outdoor game, the 2022 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series in Nashville, Tennessee, where they defeated the Nashville Predators, 3-2. The Bruins have skated in five total outdoor games, posting a 4-1-0 record.

Hockey across the Tampa Bay area, and Florida as a whole, has seen exponential growth in the past decade at all levels of the game. Florida is approaching 10,000 registered youth hockey players, ranking first overall in the Southeast District and 11th in the country. With contributions from the Lightning and community partners, the Bay Area has seen a 70 percent increase in new USA Hockey ice hockey registrations since the 2016-17 season.

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