Winter Classic in Miami, milestones among 10 things to watch in NHL before Olympic break

The NHL resumes play following its holiday break with 13 games on Saturday. That begins a busy six-week stretch in the hockey world leading up to Feb. 6-24 break for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Here are 10 things to watch for between now and then.

2026 IIHF World Junior Championship

The United States will try to win its third straight title at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minnesota beginning Friday and ending with the gold medal game on Jan. 5. The U.S. would be the first country to win the tournament in three consecutive years since Canada’s run of five consecutive titles from 2005-2009. Eight players who helped the U.S. repeat as champions in 2025 are back: forwards Cole Eiserman (New York Islanders), James Hagens (Boston Bruins), Max Plante (Detroit Red Wings), Teddy Stiga (Nashville Predators) and Brodie Ziemer (Buffalo Sabres) and defensemen Logan Hensler (Ottawa Senators), Cole Hutson (Washington Capitals) and Adam Kleber (Sabres). Among the top prospects for the 2026 NHL Draft expected to compete are forwards Gavin McKenna (Canada), Adam Novotny (Czechia) and Ivar Stenberg (Sweden), and defensemen Carson Carels (Canada) and Keaton Verhoeff (Canada).

Olympic rosters due, to be announced

NHL players will be back in the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014. The 12 countries to compete in men’s ice hockey at the Winter Olympics -- Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States -- each named six players to their preliminary rosters in June. The remainder of their 25-player rosters must be submitted by Dec. 31. France announced all but one of its players on its roster Tuesday. The rest of the rosters will be announced on or shortly after Dec. 31. Slovakia and Finland play the opening game of the tournament in Milan on Feb. 11.

Winter Classic heads to Miami

The 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic will enter uncharted territory when the New York Rangers take play the Florida Panthers at loanDepot park in Miami on Jan. 2 (8 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SNW, SNO, SNE, TVAS). It will be the NHL’s first outdoor game in Florida with plans to open the retractable roof at loanDepot park, home of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins. This will be the Rangers’ sixth outdoor game after winning each of their first five. It will be the first for the Panthers, who will try this season to become the first team to win the Stanley Cup in three consecutive seasons since the New York Islanders’ run of four in a row from 1980-1983. Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk has yet to play since having surgery to repair torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia on Aug. 22, but he could be back in time for the Winter Classic.

Kane pursuing 500 goals, U.S. points record

After missing the past five games with an upper-body injury, Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane will resume his climb toward 500 NHL goals and Mike Modano’s record for points by a U.S.-born player. With 498 goals and 1,366 points in 1,326 NHL regular-season games, Kane is two goals away from becoming the fifth U.S.-born player to reach 500. He needs nine points to overtake Modano’s total of 1,374. Kane, a Buffalo native, has 23 points (six goals, 167 assists) in 24 games season. If he returns before the end of December, he will also face his former Chicago Blackhawks teammate Jonathan Toews, who now plays for the Winnipeg Jets, on Dec. 31.

Fedorov’s number retired in Detroit

Sergei Fedorov will become the ninth player to have his number retired by the Detroit Red Wings when his No. 91 is raised to the Little Caesars Arena rafters prior to their game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 12. Fedorov played his first 13 NHL seasons with Detroit (1990-2003), winning the Stanley Cup three times (1997, 1998, 2002), the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player in 1994 and the Selke Trophy as the League’s top defensive forward in 1994 and 1996, and is fourth in team history with 400 goals. The 2015 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee will join Sid Abel (No. 12), Alex Delvecchio (No. 10), Gordie Howe (No. 9), Red Kelly (No. 4), Nicklas Lidstrom (No. 5), Ted Lindsay (No. 7), Terry Sawchuk (No. 1) and Steve Yzerman (No. 19) among Red Wings players to have their number retired.

Matthews, Stamkos chasing goal marks

Forward Auston Matthews needs six goals to break Mats Sundin’s Toronto Maple Leafs’ record. Sundin scored 420 goals in 981 games during 13 seasons with Toronto (1994-2008). Matthews has 415 goals in 660 games during 10 seasons with the Maple Leafs. Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos needs four goals to become the 22nd player in NHL history to reach 600. Stamkos holds the Tampa Bay Lightning record with 555 goals in 16 seasons and has scored 41 during the past two seasons with the Predators.

Hockey Day in Canada

Moncton, New Brunswick will be the host city for the 26th annual Scotiabank Hockey Day on Jan. 17. The day-long celebration includes all seven Canadian NHL teams in action, beginning with the Calgary Flames hosting the New York Islanders at 3 p.m. ET. The Montreal Canadiens visit the Ottawa Senators and the Maple Leafs visit the Jets at 7 p.m. ET before the day concludes with the Edmonton Oilers playing at the Vancouver Canucks at 10 p.m. ET.

Toews and Marner returns

Toews will play his first game at United Center as a visitor when the Jets face the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. Mitch Marner will play his first as a visitor at Scotiabank Arena when the Vegas Golden Knights take on the Maple Leafs on Jan. 23. Toews played 16 seasons for the Blackhawks, served as captain for 15 seasons and led them to the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015 before leaving following the 2022-23 season. He resumed playing this season with his hometown Jets after taking a two-season break because of health issues. Marner played his first nine NHL seasons with his hometown Maple Leafs before signing an eight-year, $96 million contract and being traded to the Golden Knights on July 1 (moments before he could’ve become an unrestricted free agent).

Kopitar’s 1,500th game

Anze Kopitar, who entered the break with 1,486 NHL games, is on schedule to play in his 1,500th game when the Los Angeles Kings visit the St. Louis Blues on Jan. 24. The 38-year-old Kings captain plans to retire after this season, his 20th in the NHL. Kopitar would be the 25th player to reach 1,500 games, and third this season, following Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns on Oct. 11 and Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin Oct. 25. He will be the ninth to do it with one franchise, joining Gordie Howe (Red Wings), Patrick Marleau (San Jose Sharks), Nicklas Lidstrom (Red Wings), Alex Delvecchio (Red Wings), Shane Doan (Winnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes), Ray Bourque (Boston Bruins), Steve Yzerman (Red Wings) and Ovechkin (Capitals).

Lightning host Stadium Series

After watching their cross-state rivals host the Winter Classic, the Lightning will get their turn to host an outdoor game when they face the Bruins in the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Feb. 1 (6:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS). Tampa Bay played outdoors previously in the 2002 NHL Stadium Series as the visitors in a 3-2 win against the Predators at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. This time, they’ll be the host team, taking over the NFL home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NHL’s 45th regular-season outdoor game. The Bruins are 4-1-0 in outdoor games in their history with their lone loss coming in the 2016 Winter Classic against the Montreal Canadiens (5-1).