From Dreams to Reality: How Tampa Bay Carved it's Way to Hosting the 2026 NHL Stadium Series

By Joey Johnston

TAMPA, FL - Outdoor hockey is coming to Tampa. The Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series game — the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Boston Bruins — is set for Sunday, Feb. 1 at Raymond James Stadium. It comes on the heels of the NHL’s Winter Classic at Miami, where it was a brisk 63.2 degrees (second warmest out of the 44 outdoor games in league history). 

How did all of this come about? Why did Tampa warrant this opportunity? What are the risks? How much planning has been involved?

Here’s the back-and-forth chronology in the words of the event’s key players. Let’s call it “The 2026 NHL Stadium Series — An Oral History.’’

THE POSSIBILITIES

Almost from the moment he purchased the franchise in 2010, Lightning chairman Jeff Vinik wanted an outdoor game. In the beginning, it wasn’t considered a serious possibility. Despite skeptics and obvious logistical challenges, the dream was kept alive.

Jay Feaster, Lightning executive director of community hockey development: “If we turn back the clock to my tenure as general manager (2002-08), so much was happening. We won the Stanley Cup (2004), of course. But it was still triage. We were tying to fill the building — with our fans and not fans of other teams. We were growing. Back then, if you had told me about an outdoor game coming to Tampa and suggested we could put 65,000 fans into a stadium, I probably would’ve laughed. I would’ve laughed really hard. But you know what? Nobody’s laughing now. Jeff Vinik and Steve Griggs simply never gave up.’’

Eric Hart: Tampa Sports Authority president/CEO: “After Mr. Vinik bought the Lightning, I had gotten to know Tod Leiweke (Lightning CEO). I went over for some meetings when they were doing building renovations. I told Tod, ‘Well, the next step is us getting a Stadium Series. They’re doing it in Anaheim, right? Why can’t we do it in Tampa?’ Tod just had this big smile on his face. Unbeknownst to me, they were already having the conversations without telling anyone. I gave them some data to help — relative humidity, temperatures, a sun study for Raymond James Stadium, where the shadows would be. We were on a parallel path. I grew up playing hockey in Chicago and loved it. Going for an outdoor game wasn’t my original idea. Just by coincidence, we were going in the same direction.’’

Steve Griggs, Lightning president/CEO: “We didn’t want to be pests, but we were persistent. I think it was 2016 when we sent some material to the league. We put it in a Yeti cooler, filled it with ice and put in a note that said, ‘We can keep ice cold here in Florida all year long.’ At every opportunity, we kept our name out there.’’

Steve Mayer, NHL president of content and events: “They were after us for years. They never, ever let it die.’’

Rob Higgins, former executive director, Tampa Bay Sports Commission: “Once they got the Yeti cooler and we continued to persist, I think the NHL knew we were deadly serious. We invested time, energy and effort. That gave us a chance. The conversations kept getting deeper. The technology kept getting better. There was a genuine will and spirit of collaboration that this wasn’t going to be ‘if,’ but ‘when.’ ’’

Julien BriseBois, Lightning vice president and general manager: “I felt confident we would always get it because we would wear them down. I brought it up (at general manager meetings), even if it wasn’t on the agenda. ‘Hey, outdoor game! We deserve an outdoor game. What more do we as an organization and a fanbase need to do to get an outdoor game?’ I felt very confident we would eventually get one.’’

Griggs: “They awarded us the 2018 NHL All-Star Game, maybe to get us off their backs (laughing).’’

Higgins: “After that (2018) NHL All-Star Weekend, we wanted to make sure everyone’s trip to the airport was a meaningful one. So we set up billboards around the community that expressed our appreciation and let them know we were ready for an opportunity to host a future outdoor game right here at Raymond James Stadium (The billboards read: ‘Thank you, NHL! Next time, let’s go outside the box.’).’’

Gary Bettman, NHL commissioner: “Oh, we remember those billboards. We saw them.’’

Jeff Vinik, Lightning chairman: “The technology was not there in 2010 to have an outdoor game in Tampa. I don’t know if the technology was there in 2018. But it’s a tribute to all the people involved that we’re able to host this kind of event. We figured it out.’’

Mayer: “There was a side meeting at one of our GM meetings right after COVID (in 2021). Lightning GM Julie BreisBois and Panthers GM Bill Zito cornered me and talked about how we needed to focus on getting this done as soon as possible. Originally, we thought we might have the Lightning and Panthers play each other, but then we looked at what could we do in Florida that could feel bigger.’’

Doug Ostrover, Lightning owner: “When I talked to Jeff (Vinik) two years ago, he was obviously really excited about (potentially attracting) an outdoor game. I have to admit I was thinking, ‘You’re going to play an outdoor game in Tampa with no roof and no dome over it? How are we going to control it?’ But when you see the video and the technology … we couldn’t be more excited.’’

Bettman: “From our standpoint, as we looked at a place that had never hosted an outdoor game, we thought it was time for the fans of the Lightning to be able to share in the experience. The fact that 25,000 Lightning fans went to the game (2022 Stadium Series in Nashville) did not go unnoticed.’’

Higgins: “Steve Mayer gave me a call (in January 2025) and told us that we were finally getting the Stadium Series that we’d worked on for 10 years. It was our ‘white whale’ as a community for a decade. Just a lot of fist bumps and high-fives in the office. It was an exciting call. It’s one that still gives me chills. … A few minutes later, we texted back and forth and Steve texted, ‘Now the real fun begins creating the most special event — and I mean that — to ever come to Tampa.’ ’’

Kris King, NHL executive vice president of hockey operations: “Generally, when we get told that we’re (possibly) going to a certain market, we always think about it, then we give our answer. This was our quickest answer: Are you crazy?’’

Higgins: “Whenever the naysayers chimed in, we used it as a rallying cry of sorts that motivated us even more. We’re not a group that needs a lot of motivation to begin with, but when we’re told we can’t do something, that it’s impossible, that just means we’re going to do everything possible to make it happen.’’

THE PROBLEMS 

Once the decision for a Tampa outdoor game was made, there was one remaining question. A very big question: How can this be pulled off?

Mayer: “The Lightning had been after an outdoor game for years. There were certain aspects that made us nervous. In the past, for a lot of those years, we just never had the confidence that we could protect the most important commodity, the rink.’’

Dean Matsuzaki, NHL executive vice president of events: “Everybody understands the climate in Florida. We thought of all the different scenarios. It probably took about three years of planning.’’

Kris King: “Protecting the ice is paramount.’’

Hart: “Our culture with the TSA is doing things out of the ordinary. If there’s a risky event, we’ll take it. We love doing live events. We love doing things others think we can’t do. I mean, we held a Savannah Bananas baseball game at Raymond James and now it’s outdoor hockey. We love it. I’ve worked in a lot of places, but there’s nowhere better than Tampa in terms of this level of cooperation between the various entities. Without that, there’s no we we could pull this off.’’

BriseBois: “There was talk of building a dome flap on top of the stadium that would be removed and flown away before the game by helicopters from MacDill Air Force Base. It wasn’t our idea, but it’s an interesting idea. On TV, that would look amazing, like a made-for-TV event. And then the logistics of it and the safety of it — those are residential neighborhoods. There’s 65,000 people in the stadium and we’re going to fly over them. I’m not sure we can get the insurance.’’

Hart: “Yep, we talked about flying some elements out with helicopters. We sure did. There were 10 different scenarios of how it would work. We had lots of things on the table. The ice plant is a big deal, but the league has it engineered and they’re geniuses in that aspect. We’re going to have cooling capacity. Having some sort of protective tent or something similar was always the wild card. Could that work?’’

Kris King: “We found out we need to control the environment. The best way to do that is have an enclosed area. This was the longest prelude to an outdoor game that we’ve ever had. I think we’ve been talking about it for two-and-a-half years about how we could do this.’’

Bettman: “The biggest concerns for us in these games is generally humidity and rain and the sun. When we played in Lake Tahoe during COVID, it was in the 20s or 30s, but the sun was destroying the ice that day. We’ll play late enough in the day in Tampa where the sun won’t be an issue. It was tricky, but we found a good answer.’’

THE SOLUTIONS

The NHL decided to construct a custom-designed tension fabric building while working with Texas-based GNB Global Inc., a specialty construction contractor. It’s a steel-framed structure covered in an engineering membrane material. It’s enclosed and air-conditioned. It’s 34-feet high, 124-feet wide and 248-feet long (and able to withstand 140-mph winds). It will take nearly three days to construct, and six hours to take down on game day.

Kris King: “The tent will allow us to build a hockey rink and play an NHL outdoor game. The longer we can control that humidity level while we're building is going to be key for us. The players might be having their first pregame outdoor skate under a tent. We’ll have to see how the build’s going. If we need to keep the ice covered, we’ll make that decision. The ice is paramount.’’

Mayer: “Over time, we’ve become so much better at understanding how to build ice in any condition and how to do these events in unique ways. We have the best team in the world at making ice, led by Derek King (NHL vice president of hockey operations and facilities), and I appreciate so much what they do to make these games happen. We can’t tell you how much confidence we have in Derek and his team’s ability to make ice under any circumstances.’’

Matsuzaki: “With the temperatures and humidity we’re facing down there, we’re looking to do a fully enclosed structure that we can remove fairly quickly. We are going to be doing a regular rink build that we do for an outdoor game, but we’ll have this (enclosed structure) build going on simultaneously. We’ll have a structure that is on rails, to be able to flight it off the rink and disassemble from below without being on the ice and jeopardizing the ice in any way.’’

BriseBois: “Credit to the NHL for coming up with this solution because this was their solution. They came up with the idea. They came up with the partners who could do it.’’ 

Ryan Hunter, co-CEO, GNB Global Inc: “I don’t know if anybody's ever told you the story of how this all started. Three years ago, we missed a flight coming back from Nashville, got delayed, then stuck in Minneapolis for the night. Just by odds, we ended up in the seat right behind Derek (King).’’

Derek King, NHL vice president of hockey operations: “And we’re just kind of talking about what we’re doing and where our careers have taken us. And you know, Ryan says, ‘Hey, we're into this fabric tension building business.’ ’’

Hunter: “Could we make you a cover that would cover the entire rink and protect you from the weather? Right? We can do that. So it's all led to this.’’

Derek King: “And this is really the best plan for us to be successful in Tampa.’’

Bettman: “A few years back, the timing just wasn’t right. But over the last few years, we remained focused. Jeff Vinik remained relentless. We continued to think about and explore the ways that we could do it. And we think we’ve got it right.’’

Mayer: “What we’re building in Tampa is one of the most ambitious event structures we’ve ever taken on. The conditions are challenging, the timeline is tight, and every detail matters — but that’s what makes it special.’’

Hart: “Do you know how many people I’ve talked to who say, ‘How are you guys going to do this?’ They think it’s going to be an epic failure. Do you know how often I’ve heard that in my career? I mean, for some concerts, we load in 110 semis over a three-day span. That makes people think. They have no idea about the power of people who actually know what they’re doing. When you combine the TSA, the NHL, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission and all that expertise, I mean, we’re not just guessing here. We’re not winging it. We’re talking about elaborate research, planning and preparation.’’

THE PREPARATION 

What a weekend it will be in Tampa — the Gasparilla Pirate Fest on Saturday, Jan. 31, followed by the NHL Stadium Series. The locals know what Gasparilla looks like. The Stadium Series? Apparently, plenty of surprises are ahead.

Pat Maroon, Lightning forward: “This is going to be great, especially with Gasparilla. There’s going to be a lot of partying, a lot of fun, and I think Tampa’s going to experience something it will never experience again.’’

Hart: “We’re ready. We’ve got the field covered. The ice plants will be arriving. We’ve got multiple trucks carrying the equipment. It’s all staged and now we just have to do it. It’s kind of like a big-time concert. Sure, there are unique nuances and things we can’t do around the ice until the very end. That will create some excitement because in the last eight hours, there’s a lot of work that will happen. You’ll see an army of people moving stuff, decorating stuff, last-minute details. When we pop the doors open, everybody will see that.’’

Bettman: “If you went to the family skates or the practice days at some of the other outdoor games, you’d look and see how we outfitted the stadium. At this one, you’re not going to know until you see the whole effort of taking it apart and unveiling it. We’re going to pull it all together in a six-hour period. If people thought the weather made us crazy for trying to do this, the engineering underpinning of everything we’re doing is going to make this even more special, even more unique.’’

Hunter: “Typically, with a building like this, it would take two or three days to take it down. We’re going to do it in six hours.’’

BriseBois: “From an engineering standpoint, they’ve been doing dry runs in Texas, seeing if it works, how quickly they can disassemble this, how quickly they can assemble it, and it has worked out good.’’

Mayer: “Our expert team thrives on pushing boundaries, and we’re confident that before and after the doors of Raymond James Stadium open, sports fans are going to see something like they’ve never seen before.’’

Derek King: “We know when we remove the tent, we’ll be working with the grace of Mother Nature. It’s important not only how long it is to dismantle, but also getting all the equipment in place. Fans are going to love what they see when that tent comes off for game day.’’

Bettman: “If the temperature (is mild), we should be fine. It’s the week leading up to the game, right where it takes a week to make the ice. So it’s not only the three hours before the game. I think we’ll be fine. There are a number of people who think we’re a little crazy for trying to do it in this magnificent weather, but there are a whole host of factors that brought us to this point. To pull this off, it’s going to be an engineering marvel.’’ 

BriseBois: “Hopefully, we have a beautiful, cool Tampa evening on February 1. It’s going to be phenomenal.’’

Derek King: “As we're getting closer to game time, we’ll make that decision of, ‘Do we pull it the day before? Do we pull it the day of?’ It may be right up to game time. So that may be something neat for people. When they’re coming into the stadium, they may see this tent going down, cranes leaving the field. It’s gonna be a call to make as we get closer to game time.’’

Phil Esposito, Lightning founder: “This is going to be something incredible to be part of. It’s not like winning the Stanley Cup, but it’s big. It’s really big.’’

Mayer: “Obviously, with this one, it’s challenging in a unique way. But we like that. Our outdoor games are among the biggest (events) in sports. To have a theme this year of outdoor games in Florida and to finish it off in Tampa, it makes all the sense in the world. And I think it’s something that not only the hockey fan is going to talk about, but the sports fan is going to talk about … because of how unique these games are.’’

Kris King: “I know we’re going to be able to build a rink under that tent. We’re going to take every step we need to take to make sure that ice is ready once we drop that puck.’’

Feaster: “I was GM of the Calgary Flames when we played Montreal in a Heritage Classic Game. You can imagine how magical it is in a Canadian market. Or you’re sitting with 100,000 people at the University of Michigan stadium watching the Red Wings play outside. The setting takes you back to kids playing the game on an icy pond. It’s nostalgic. Here in the South, we can now be part of that history. It’s so novel and unique. It drives fan interest. It makes you want to say, ‘I want to be there. I want to be part of it.’ We have three Stanley Cup championship banners in our building. We have thousands of thousands of kids playing ball hockey or ice hockey. And now we have an outdoor game in Tampa. It blows my mind. We’re fortunate to have an owner (Vinik) with vision who put the right people in place and had the belief that this could happen.’’ 

Higgins: “There’s a quote that we love: ‘You get what you work for, not what you wish for.’ Anybody could have had that dream, to host an outdoor game. But to know that our community galvanized together, put the work in to make it happen, and now our dream is coming true … it’s so rewarding and thrilling.’’

Hart: “When you’re in a stadium, there are about five events that everybody wants to do — the Super Bowl, the College Football Playoff championship game, the World Cup, the WWE and the NHL Stadium Series. This is the event that no one thought we would ever do in Tampa. So we’re excited to bring it to life. I’m more geeked about this than any event I’ve done in my career. It’s hockey. I love the Lightning. It’s my home building. It’s in Tampa. You put all those unique pieces together, and it’s a pretty fantastic story.’’

Mayer: “We’re always looking to elevate our game. Whether it’s an NHL event or any event, Tampa does it like no other city. The Lightning is a premier organization in not only hockey, but all of sports. The tradition of winning speaks for itself, and it’s just incredible that we have the job of putting on an event in this city because there’s no question the city deserves it.’’

Bettman: “Stanley Cups, strings of sellouts and the exponential growth of youth and high school hockey throughout the state have demonstrated that Florida is a hockey hotbed. Outdoor NHL games in the Sunshine State? Never let it be said that our league isn’t willing to accept a challenge.’’

Mayer: “We have incredible relationships with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Tampa Bay Sports Commissio,n and the Tampa Sports Authority. They are incredible people to work with, and they are the best at what they do. It makes event producers like myself so comfortable with all the things they bring to the table to make an event better.’’

Higgins: “Our community has hosted five Super Bowls and numerous college championships. Nobody doubted that our community had the ability to pull those off. But when you’re talking about an outdoor hockey game and a destination like Tampa, there are a lot of people who don’t believe it can happen. We’re all going to have a different kind of pride this time and a spirit of what we’ve always known: No matter how big the dream is, Team Tampa Bay will see it through to the finish line.’’