It is the day of the 2026 Winter Classic, and it will feature the Florida Panthers hosting the New York Rangers at Loan Depot Park in Miami, Florida. This is going to be an incredible experience, with the roof over their heads, but being on a baseball diamond.
As the ice cools down, and the sun heats up in the Sunshine State, it is important to remember one important fact. The St. Louis Blues are still the kings of the cold, and their legacy with the Winter Classic is a historic one.
Let's talk about it.
Undefeated in the outdoor game
The Blues have a perfect 3-0 record in the Winter Classic. It started in 2017, with the Blues hosting a game at Busch Stadium against the Chicago Blackhawks. The home-town team would be victorious, 4-1, behind a solid effort from goaltender Jake Allen and star forward Vladimir Tarasenko.
Then came the coldest outdoor game in NHL history in 2022, up in the great state of 10,000 lakes, Minnesota. The Blues would defeat the Wild in a "wild" 6-4 showcase, with the temperatures in the negatives at puck drop.
Finally, last season had the Blues visiting Chicago at the historic Wrigley Field for the 2025 edition of the great game. The Blues would be victorious, once again, with a score of 6-2. It was a fantastic game under the lights of Wrigley, with beautiful jerseys to boot.
The Blues have shown their best when they hit the biggest stage. Despite the Winter Classic's ratings going down over the years, with the past one with St. Louis and Chicago being the lowest in history, the awe and heritage of outdoor hockey is still a spectacle.
The 2026 Winter Classic should be a classic
Despite being inside a roofed baseball stadium, there will still be a lot of excitement with this version of the Winter Classic. The Rangers and Panthers are both great teams, and certainly deserved the honor. The back-to-back champions, who are on their way to going for a three-peat, against an original-six team.
It will be a very interesting matchup, and it could revive the series. That could open the door to bringing the Blues back in a couple of years, and either adding to the undefeated streak or breaking it.