FHN Today: Time for Florida Panthers to Play at Marlins Park?

The NHL is hosting another outdoor game at a baseball cathedral and, while Marlins Park does not hold the distinction of a Fenway Park, it is time for the NHL to start looking at the Florida Panthers playing a Winter Classic in Little Havana.

On Monday afternoon, Fenway Park will be the first venue to host a Winter Classic for a second time when the Bruins take on the Penguins.

Players on the Boston Bruins are excited about playing host to another Winter Classic at Fenway Park and why not?

But it is time for the NHL to start looking at some more out-of-the-box venues. They have already hosted games on Lake Tahoe, why not Miami?

Listen, I know it sounds crazy but it could be done.

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By playing in the winter months — perhaps in February, so not a ‘Winter Classic’ — the humidity will be lower and that is the killer to making quality ice.

But at the domed ballpark near downtown Miami, the roof can be closed and the air conditioning can run enough to really chill that place down.

Trust me, it can get cold in that building when they do not open the roof.

While it may not be an outdoor game in the traditional sense, it would likely be a television ratings bonanza what with the palm trees and all the visuals Miami has to offer.

And, if it is nice enough on the day of the game, open that roof — or at least the windows on the east side which face downtown and Biscayne Bay.

Could they make ice in Miami?

“It would cost a lot of money to do it, but they’re spending that anyway for these games,” Graham Caplinger, the Panthers’ ice guru told me back in 2011.

“The NHL has this down to a science. They definitely could do it in Miami. You may lose the spirit of the thing because it will be inside-outside, but I think it would be cool. If it’s in the winter months, I see no reason why you couldn’t do it.”

Neither do I.

Tampa Bay at Florida inside Marlins Park.

Drop that puck and play ball!

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW

The Florida Panthers had a very memorable 2022 although the memories of the exciting brand of hockey this team played last season are fading.

Yeah, this past month is definitely souring what this team did in the first few months of the year.

Friday night, the Panthers left 2022 with a wimper as they got owned by the Carolina Hurricanes in a 4-0 loss that was not as close as the score may indicate.

— Matt Kiersted has not played since Radko Gudas came back from his concussion, but that does not mean he is not learning a lot of important stuff in his extended stay with the Panthers.

If the link to this story is not up (I did not leave the Orange Bowl press box at Hard Rock Stadium until after 2 a.m.) just head over to the main page and check it out. Colby did a nice job on it.

— All of the postgame reactions from Eric Staal, Gudas — and 22 seconds from Paul Maurice — are up on the FHN YouTube Channel.

Check it all out either by clicking the embedded videos below or click RIGHT HERE to see everything we’ve got up.

NATIONAL HOCKEY NOW

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, plan to ring in the New Year by unveiling the world’s largest hockey puck.

It is more than 20 feet in diameter and weighs over 1,000 pounds. They’ve been working on this for weeks, folks.

— Speaking of the Flyers, they got a nice win against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.

— It looks like the Washington Capitals will be getting defenseman Martin Fehervary back as Lucas Johansen has been sent back to AHL Hershey.

— Detroit Red Wings forward Filip Zadina said he is about a week away from returning after breaking a bone in his leg blocking a shot last month.

FLORIDA PANTHERS ON DECK

NEW YORK RANGERS AT FLORIDA PANTHERS 

• When: Sunday, 5 p.m.
• Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise
• TV/Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932
• Last season: Rangers won 2-1
• All-time regular season series: Rangers lead 57-32-8, 6 ties