Lightning-Bruins Stadium Series Tickets Available Sept. 18
Tickets for the 2026 NHL Stadium Series matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium will go on sale Thursday, Sept. 18.
Fans can purchase tickets at 10 a.m. ET on Ticketmaster, with tickets sold on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
The game will make history as the first outdoor NHL matchup held in a football stadium in Florida, serving as the highlight of a month-long celebration of hockey in the Sunshine State. Prior to the Lightning facing off against the Bruins, the Florida Panthers will play the New York Rangers on January 2, 2026, at LoanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins.
Over the past six seasons, the state’s two hockey teams have combined for four Cup wins, two of them coming from Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021. The two outdoor games will be a tribute to the rise of hockey over the past three decades.
“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,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “Outdoor NHL games in the Sunshine State? Never let it be said that our League isn’t willing to accept a challenge.”
TNT will broadcast the 2026 NHL Winter Classic exclusively in the U.S. while ESPN will carry the 2026 NHL Stadium Series. Sportsnet and TVA Sports will deliver both games to fans in Canada.
Lightning to Host 2026 NHL Stadium Series vs Bruins
The Tampa Bay Lightning have had over a decade of proven success, now the hockey world gets to see it first hand.
It’s official, The Tampa Bay Lightning are set to host the NHL Stadium Series at Raymond James Stadium on February 1, 2026 against a divisional opponent, the Boston Bruins.
One could say the Stanley Cup runs through the state of Florida. With the Florida Panthers hosting the 2026 NHL Winter Classic at Miami’s LoanDepot Park, the Stadium Series game in Tampa will give the state two outdoor NHL games next season.
Together, the two Florida teams have combined to bring the Stanley Cup home three times in the past five seasons, two of those coming from Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021.
“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,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
“The Panthers and Lightning have told us repeatedly that they and their fans want this special experience. Beginning in Miami on Jan. 2, when the Panthers host the Rangers in the Discover NHL Winter Classic, we will stage a month-long celebration of hockey throughout Florida that will culminate in Tampa on Feb. 1, when the Lightning host the Bruins in the Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series. Florida, we’re bringing our unique events to you, and we can’t wait.”
As for the Lightning’s opponent, the Boston Bruins have had their fair share of head-to-head matchups against the team in Tampa Bay. This one should be no different.
As a city, Tampa prides itself on being a hub for special events, hosting Super Bowls, Gasparilla, multiple Final Four games, college national championships, Taylor Swift and Beyonce concerts in the same year… need I say more?
And everyone remembers the Championship Boat parades..
Over the years, the Lightning have built a loyal fanbase, turning Tampa into the hockey town it is today.
TNT will broadcast the 2026 NHL Winter Classic exclusively in the U.S. while ESPN will carry the 2026 NHL Stadium Series. Sportsnet and TVA Sports will deliver both games to fans in Canada.
NFL RUMORS: Kirk Cousins Now a Viable Option for Bengals After Joe Burrow’s Toe Injury
The Minnesota Vikings chose signing Carson Wentz over attempting to trade for Kirk Cousins ahead of the regular season, which may prove a mistake following an injury to J.J. McCarthy in Week 2.
McCarthy is likely to miss between two and four weeks after severely spraining his ankle against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, September 14, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Cousins knows head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense and several of the players in the huddle, though he would have cost the Vikings an asset in a deal.
The team would also have likely had to pay a significant portion of Cousins’ $27.5 million base salary in 2025 at the age of 37 and coming off injuries in back-to-back seasons, all of which likely contributed to Minnesota’s choice to ink the younger and less expensive Wentz instead.
However, Wentz must now take the reins of the offense next weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals, while undrafted rookie Max Brosmer elevates into the QB2 role and the Vikings likely go on the hunt for a veteran signal-caller to add to the mix for at least as long as McCarthy is out.
Cousins is no longer as viable an option for Minnesota after the franchise brought in Wentz, but he could make sense for their Week 3 competitors. Cincinnati lost star quarterback Joe Burrow for up to three months following a toe injury Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars that will require surgery.
The Bengals have one of the NFL’s more reliable backup options in Jake Browning, though he threw three interceptions in Week 2 as Cincinnati narrowly escaped a home loss to the visiting Jaguars.
Bengals so Reliant on QB Position to Carry Team, They May Consider Expensive Trade for Kirk Cousins
The Bengals have invested massively in their offense, paying Burrow and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins north of $550 million combined on those three players’ most recent contract extensions.
Because of that, Cincinnati doesn’t have an overly impressive offensive line or defense, which has kept the team’s success teetering on the edge of a knife over the last several years. The Bengals rely so heavily on the offense to carry the team and so heavily on Burrow to carry the offense; however, by not protecting Burrow appropriately, the organization also constantly risks everything falling apart.
That burden now falls to Browning who has appeared in 13 career games, starting seven of them (4-3). He boasts a career completion percentage of nearly 70% and has tallied 2,177 passing yards, 14 TDs and 10 INTs over his three years in Cincinnati. A total of 241 of those yards, as well as two TDs and three INTs, came against Jacksonville in Week 2.
Browning actually began his career with the Vikings in 2019 as an undrafted rookie.
Bengals Can Afford Trade for Kirk Cousins Under Right Circumstances
Cousins is a far more accomplished and experienced player than Browning. The question is whether the Bengals want to spend what it would require to trade for him.
The answer could be yes, simply given how much Cincinnati leans on the QB position and how quickly its season might crumble if Browning struggles or suffers an injury of his own.
Cousins has a no-trade clause but would likely be willing to waive it for a chance to play with Chase and Higgins in a high-powered offense that needs the QB to throw the ball effectively and at high-volume to even stay in games, let alone win them.
The Bengals currently have nearly $13 million in cap space and could probably work out a deal with the Falcons to take on only so much of Cousins’ 2025 salary that it fits under that number.
