The two outdoor games have been announced.
On Wednesday afternoon, it was announced that the Florida Panthers will host the 2026 Winter Classic on Jan. 2 against the New York Rangers at LoanDepot Park in Miami. Moreover, the Tampa Bay Lightning will host the Boston Bruins at the Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1 for the annual Stadium Series.
The Panthers are just one of three teams in the National Hockey League that have yet to play in an outdoor game. If you’re wondering, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Utah Hockey Club are the other two teams that haven’t played in an outdoor game, but the Blue Jackets will host the Detroit Red Wings in the 2025 Stadium Series on Mar. 1.
For the first time in the history of the event, the 2025 Winter Classic wasn’t held on New Year’s Day, in fact, it wasn’t even held in 2025, as the game contested between the St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks was played on New Year’s Eve. 
The 2025 Winter Classic was the least-watched in its 16-year history. There are a handful of reasons for that, the primary one being it was on New Year’s Eve while other games were being played and people were getting ready to party. Another reason is that the Blackhawks and Blues aren’t very good teams. 
At least next year, Florida will probably be good. However, the Rangers won the 2023-24 Presidents’ Trophy but are now one of the worst teams in the league, so who knows?

Daniel Sprong placed on waivers

On Wednesday, it was announced by the Seattle Kraken that they’ve placed Daniel Sprong on waivers.
Sprong was selected in the second round of the 2015 draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins and had a good season when he eventually was traded to the Anaheim Ducks during the 2018-19 season. That year with the Ducks, he scored 14 goals and 19 points in 47 games. In 2020-21 with the Washington Capitals, he scored 13 goals and 20 points in 42 games.
The Dutchman was traded to the Seattle Kraken during the 2021-22 season, and eventually broke out with the team in 2022-23, scoring 21 goals and 46 points in 66 games to help the Kraken make the postseason for the first time in franchise history. He signed with the Red Wings for the 2023-24 season, where he scored 18 goals and 43 points in 76 games.
Sprong signed with the Vancouver Canucks before the start of the 2024-25 season, playing nine games with the team where he scored one goal and three points. In early November, he was traded back to the Kraken, where he’s scored one goal and two points in 10 games.

Connor Hellebuyck reaches 300 wins

On Tuesday, the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Nashville Predators 5-2, with netminder Connor Hellebuyck picking up his 300th win.
Hellebuyck was able to achieve the mark in 538 games, the third-fastest netminder to reach 300 wins. The only two netminders who were able to do it quicker than Hellebuyck are Andrei Vasilevskiy, who did it in 490 games recently, and legend Jacques Plante, who did it in 521 games. 
The Michigan native was selected in the fifth round of the 2012 draft and has a career .917 save percentage and 2.59 goals against average, with every one of his games being played with the Jets. In 2019-20, he won his first Vezina Trophy as he had a .9222 save percentage and a 2.57 goals against average.
Last season, he won his second Vezina Trophy, along with the William M. Jennings Trophy, as he posted a .921 save percentage and a 2.39 goals against average. The 31-year-old has been even better this season, as Hellebuyck has a .926 save percentage and a 2.08 goals against average in 33 games as the Jets have the second-most points in the National Hockey League.
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