Hockey in the Sunshine: How the NHL Keeps the Ice Frozen in Florida
On Sunday, of all things, the Tampa Bay Lightning will play the Boston Bruins. Well, okay. But what makes this game so interesting is that it will be outside in Tampa, Florida—the Sunshine State. Fortunately, the weatherman is cooperating. Game day is expected to be 10°C (50°F), with a warmer 22°C (72°F) midweek.
So, How Does the Ice Stay Frozen in Florida?
If you’ve ever thought an outdoor NHL game in Florida was impossible, well, you’re not alone. Even long-time hockey fans blink at the idea. Tampa in January is usually talking about 70-degree weather, palm trees, and sunburns, not crisp, clean ice and slap shots. Yet here we are, on the cusp of the 2026 Stadium Series between the Lightning and Bruins, and the league is about to pull off one of the trickiest engineering stunts in pro sports.
The first piece of the puzzle is where the ice is actually built. You might imagine crews just spraying water and hoping for the best, but the NHL has a lot more science behind it than that. At Raymond James Stadium, they’re erecting a temporary, climate-controlled tent over the rink site. Think of it as a giant, high-tech greenhouse — except instead of making things grow, it’s designed to keep the heat out and the cold in. The tent protects the ice from sun, wind, and humidity, giving the crews several days of consistent conditions to build the sheet correctly. Without that layer of control, you’d see puddles before the first puck drop.
Under the Ice Is Where the Science Occurs.
Under the ice is where the real magic happens. The NHL lays down a network of refrigeration lines — miles of tubing running under aluminum pans — hooked up to massive industrial chillers and glycol-cooling units. These machines pump a super-cold fluid that sucks heat out of the ice, keeping it near the exact temperature players need. The process is continuous: even as players skate and lights shine, the system works to offset heat from the sun, the air, and even the crowd.
Building the ice itself is an exercise in patience. Crews spray thin layers of water over the aluminum floor, letting each one freeze before adding the next. By the time it’s done, you have a dense, NHL-quality sheet that’s actually thicker than what you’d see in a normal arena. Thicker ice might sound counterintuitive, but it helps the surface hold together in warmer weather and makes it more consistent under heavy skating. (Standard rink ice is usually 1–1.25 inches; outdoor ice can be 1.5–2 inches.)
The crews are also constantly monitoring the temperature, tweaking the chillers, and adjusting layers to account for weather shifts. One stray cloud or gust of warm wind can make a difference — the work never stops until puck drop.
On Game Day, the Tent Comes Down.
On game day, the tent comes down, and the rink is exposed to the Florida sky. This is when the other tricks kick in. Insulated blankets and reflective tarps are draped over the surface when the ice isn’t in use to reduce heat absorption. The refrigeration lines keep pumping, almost like a lifeline running beneath the sheet. Meanwhile, ice crews hover nearby with hoses and scrapers, ready to fix any soft spots, shine the surface, or spray a new layer of water if needed. It’s a constant back-and-forth between engineering and nature, a reminder that ice doesn’t naturally belong in Tampa — it has to be carefully maintained.
During the Game, the Technology Still Churns Out Cooling.
By the time the Lightning and Bruins take the ice, the surface looks like any other NHL rink — hard, smooth, fast, and ready for a high-speed game. But behind the scenes, it’s the result of days of preparation, dozens of people working in perfect harmony, and a system of technology that turns what should be impossible into something entirely playable. And that’s why, when you watch a slap shot in the Florida sun, you can tip your hat to the unsung heroes keeping the ice frozen for everyone.
Good luck to Florida and the NHL for pulling off this amazing game.