Next season, the rivalry between the Bruins and Lightning will go where its never gone before. And that’s outside, with the sides slated to go head to head in an outdoor game for the 2026 Stadium Series on Feb. 1, 2026.
Sure, going outdoors is a little bit played out by now. That’s the NHL’s own doing, really. But with this being an outdoor game in Florida, there’s certainly an added element of intrigue at play here. And with the sides slated to do battle at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bruins and Bolts now have a fitting logo to go with the game, as revealed by the National Hockey League on Tuesday.
The NHL has unveiled the logo for the 2026 Stadium Series game between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning. (Credit: NHL)
Given the location of this contest, it’s certainly no surprise that the NHL decided to go with a Buccaneer-themed pirate ship as the centerpiece. I mean, you find me another stadium that has a spare pirate ship just hanging around.
TAMPA, FLORIDA – JANUARY 01: Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signals at the line of scrimmage at Raymond James Stadium on January 01, 2023. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
For the Bruins, this will be sixth time they’ve gone outdoors for an NHL game since the league reintroduced outdoor games in 2008. That will move the Black and Gold into a tie with the Penguins and Flyers for the second-most outdoor games in NHL history, trailing only the Blackhawks (seven).
The Bruins come into play with a 4-1-0 record in those contests, with their only losing coming at the hands of the Canadiens at Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium in the 2016 Winter Classic. Only the Rangers (5-0-0) have a better record among teams with at least five outdoor games to their name.
This will also be the team’s first outdoor game since the 2023 Winter Classic, which took place at Fenway Park, with the B’s defeating the Penguins.
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) reaches for his water during the first period of the 2023 Winter Classic at Fenway Park. (Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports)
For the Lightning, meanwhile, this will be the second outdoor game in the franchise’s history, and first since a 2022 Stadium Series game in Nashville.
The 2026 Stadium Series game will be one of two outdoor games held in Florida next season, with the 2026 Winter Classic set to take place between the Rangers and Panthers, and at the home of the MLB’s Miami Marlins.