The weekend of the big game has finally arrived. The mayor of Tampa is surrendering the city to pirates as you’re reading this during Gasparilla. Once the invasion subsides, the Tampa Bay Lightning will take the ice against the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium for the 2026 Stadium Series.
Even with the game as close to puck drop as it is, more important information is dropping that will be relevant to the game. Let’s take a look so that you can be ready.
What’s This Word About Snow?
There were concerns about it being too hot for the ice to sustain itself for an outdoor hockey game in Florida. Well, there is a plot twist. It’s not just cold in Tampa this weekend, but there is a chance of some historic weather. According to 10 Tampa Bay, the local CBS station, there is a 10% to 20% chance of flurries on the Gulf Coast of Florida this Sunday.
It’s part of a rare “gulf effect,” which is exactly like how a lake effect works up north. The cold air coming from the water has a chance to bring flurries in. Two notable counties with a chance of getting this weather include Hillsborough, where Tampa is, and Pinellas, which has St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
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There won’t be a thick blanket of snow up past the ankles, but this region hasn’t had snowfall where snow stuck to the ground since 1977. To provide context to the era, it was midway through a season where the Montreal Canadiens were en route to a third of four straight Stanley Cups with Guy Lafleur and Ken Dryden. Hockey in Tampa was still 15 years away. It’s been some time.
Some parts of the metro area got up to two inches. This time around, it likely won’t be that, but flurries are a big deal in this part of the country. Even if it’s not around for the game, the fact that it could snow at all on the same day is insane timing. The hockey gods were keeping an eye on this game.
Final Plans for Stadium Are in Place
Because of the weather, the NHL announced on Friday that it would move up the removal of the tent over the ice by six hours from 6 a.m. EST to midnight EST on Sunday. The timeline would move up the completion of the tent’s dismantling to 10 a.m. EST.
For what it’s worth, they’re confident that the rink won’t melt in the eight and a half hours before puck drop. With confidence, it can be said that there will be plenty of media released as they do this overnight.
We also recently got a glimpse of what the floor of the stadium will look like during the game. The design, unsurprisingly, is a pirate treasure map. However, this logical choice proved to have some cool results.
Let’s not forget there is already a pirate ship for the Buccaneers in the building that can fire cannons, and it’s reported to be part of the experience.
According to Fox 13, the local Tampa Bay Fox station, this layout will include Gasparilla floats, boats, cannons and changing the rigging of the pirate ship already in the stadium. It’ll be a unique Sunday in this building. The usual Krewe will be ready for a goal to back of the net instead of a ball in the end zone or a kick between the uprights.
Who on the Lightning Will Be Healthy in Time for the Game?
Defenseman Ryan McDonagh recently returned from the injury reserve. He played on Thursday in the 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets.
Captain and fellow defenseman Victor Hedman has been working to be back in time for the game. He’s been participating in practice as of late, and he said on Thursday that a return hasn’t been ruled out.
“That’s been a big motivation throughout this whole process, but at the same time, there’s a long season still left,” Hedman said Thursday via NHL.com. “But we’ll see what happens in the next coming days, but either way, just to be part of that and seeing that atmosphere…and the weather looks to be super good for that game, so I’m sure the whole state is excited about that game.”
He also said live on ESPN that he’s hopeful to take part in the action. He hasn’t played since Dec. 9, and he’s only played in three games since Nov. 8. It would certainly make for a major development if he could get back for this event and tune up for a few games ahead of the Olympics in Milan.
The stage is set. Festivities will be held outside ahead of the game, and puck drop is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST on Sunday. Bring your hand and foot warmers. Those who come are in for the winter experience they had been hoping for.
