NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman paid another visit to “Good Morning America” on Wednesday to talk about the new season getting underway.
Bettman talked with host Whit Johnson about the growing sport, the upcoming outdoor games in Florida, the centennial season that three teams are celebrating and different storylines for fans to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
Last season, the NHL set a regular-season attendance record with over 23 million fans heading to the arenas throughout the year.
“Everything we do starts with the game, but takes place on the ice,” Bettman said on the morning talk show. “The skill of our game, of our players. The speed, the competitive balance, the unpredictability. … It all seems to work.”
Bettman acknowledged that the marquee outdoor games are a big part of the League’s growth, and with two outdoor games in Florida this season, he showed the utmost confidence that the League can continue to put out a top-tier outdoor product for fans and players alike.
The Florida Panthers will host the New York Rangers at loanDepot Park in Miami for the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 2, 2026, while the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins face off at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay for the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series on Feb. 1, 2026.
Bettman said the League will be using the dome at loanDepot Park during the week before the game to prepare the ice in a controlled environment. The roof will be open during the actual game.
At Raymond James Stadium, an outdoor football arena with no dome, Bettman said the League is putting up a building around the rink that will help keep the ice fresh until gametime.
“People are now beginning to question our sanity,” Bettman joked about scheduling two outdoor games in the Florida heat. “[Outdoor games] are amazing events. Fans love them, the players love them. Kind of conjures up images of kids on frozen ponds learning the game. We think it’ll work. Our ice makers are world-class. They’re the best in the world.”
He continued: “And as long as it’s not a heat wave, playing the game at night, if there’s not too much humidity, everything should be great. We haven’t lost any of these games yet playing outdoors, which I guess makes us the ultimate reality show, and hopefully we’ll pull this off. It’ll be fun and the anticipation is going to be great.”
Bettman then recognized the three teams that are celebrating their centennial season this year: the Rangers, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks.
“They’re commemorating with special events, special nights, special uniforms,” Bettman said. “We pride ourselves on our history, our tradition and we respect everything that happened in the game before where we are today.”
He finished up the segment by giving fans multiple exciting storylines to follow throughout the year, from Alex Ovechkin’s chase toward his 900th goal to New York Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer’s hot start to the season.
“It’s all incredible and what’s great about our game night in and night out is there’s always a great storyline, there’s an exciting competitive game and our races go down to the wire for the regular season every year,” Bettman said. “And once the playoffs begin, as you know, anything can happen.”
