Who doesn’t love outdoor games with National Hockey League teams involved.
It was reported by Elliotte Friedman that the Florida Panthers are close to holding a game at LoanDepot Park, in Miami, Florida. It could come as early as next season.
The Panthers are just one of three teams that haven’t participated in an outdoor game yet, as the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Utah Hockey Club are the other two teams. However, the Blue Jackets are set to host the Detroit Red Wings on Mar. 1 this season in the annual Satdium Series, while the Hockey Club is in the first season of its existence. If you’re wondering, the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes never played in an outdoor game.
This season, the Winter Classic, held on Dec. 31, will be played between the St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks at the historic Wrigley Field. This will be the seventh time the Blackhawks play in an outdoor game, the most for any team.
While the game is set to be hosted in Miami, you know, the city with nice weather and a ton of beaches, LoanDepot Park has a roof to shield the stadium from the weather. Moreover, cities such as Nashville, Raleigh, Dallas, and Santa Clara have hosted outdoor games in the past.

Thatcher Demko returned

The Vancouver Canucks got a little bit stronger recently, as netminder Thatcher Demko returned for his first game back in over seven months on Tuesday.
Demko didn’t have a great performance in his return, allowing four goals on 25 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues, giving him an .840 save percentage and a 3.95 goals-against average.
However, when he’s a Vezina Trophy candidate when healthy, as he posted a .918 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average in 51 games last season to help the Canucks finish first in the Pacific Division. He was out toward the end of the season and only played one postseason game before missing the rest of the Canucks run due to injury.
After a long layoff, it’s expected that he won’t be up to game speed. Still, he could be of big help to the Canucks, who find themselves with a 14-8-5 record for 33 points, holding onto the final Wild Card spot.

Kevin Shattenkirk retired

On Tuesday afternoon, defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk announced his retirement from the league.
The right-shot defenceman was selected 14th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2007 and played just 46 games with them before being traded to the St. Louis Blues in Feb. 2011. It was with the Missourian team he made his mark. Overall, he played seven seasons with the Blues, scoring 59 goals and 258 points in 425 games before being traded to the Washington Capitals before the 2017 trade deadline.
After falling in the postseason that season with the Capitals (who’d win the Stanley Cup the next season), Shattenkirk signed a four-year deal with the New York Rangers before the 2017 season. After the 2018-19 season (following the Blues’ Stanley Cup win), Shattenkirk was bought out and signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
That season, he scored eight goals and 34 points in 70 games, along with three goals and 13 points in 25 postseason games, as he held the Stanley Cup for the first and only time in his career. Shattenkirk spent three seasons with the Ducks from 2020-21 until 2022-23, before signing a one-year deal wth the Boston Bruins for the 2023-24 season.
The 35-year-old finished his career with 103 goals and 484 points in 952 games, along width eight goals and 48 points in 91 postseason games.
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