The NHL announced that Grammy Award-winning country music superstar
Tim McGraw will headline the entertainment for the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series. The highly anticipated outdoor game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins takes place February 1, 2026, at Raymond James Stadium.
The matchup represents the first time in league history that an outdoor game will be played in a football stadium in Florida. Live coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN in the United States and on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada.
Tim McGraw gets honor of being center of first intermission performance of stadium series
McGraw will headline the first intermission performance presented by Ticketmaster. The country music icon will perform on a stage alongside the rink inside the climate-controlled structure. The 58-year-old brings an impressive resume to the event.
McGraw has sold more than 106 million records worldwide and dominated the charts with 49 number one singles throughout his legendary career. He's considered one of the most successful touring acts in country music history.
Beyond music, McGraw has achieved success in multiple fields. He's written four New York Times bestselling books and appeared in major films, including Friday Night Lights and The Blind Side.
Most recently, he starred alongside his wife Faith Hill and actor Sam Elliott in the Yellowstone prequel 1883, which earned three Emmy nominations.
A limited number of tickets to the game remain available through Ticketmaster, the official ticketing partner of the NHL. Fans can visit NHL.com/events for more information about purchasing tickets and event details.
The Stadium Series will conclude a monthlong outdoor hockey celebration in the Sunshine State. The festivities began with the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers at loanDepot park in Miami.
That historic contest marked the first outdoor hockey game ever played in Florida. A sellout crowd of 36,153 attended the Winter Classic, which brought the total attendance at NHL outdoor games to 2,276,221. The game represented the 17th consecutive sellout in Winter Classic history.
The NHL will construct the regulation-size rink inside a steel-framed, air-conditioned structure to protect it from Florida's elements. The state-of-the-art tent spans 34 feet high, 125 feet wide, and 240 feet long. The structure will be dismantled before puck drop, allowing the teams to face off outdoors in primetime.
Additional details about game presentation and entertainment plans will be announced in the coming weeks. NoFans remain thrilled, however, as they await the country star’s performance.
Also Read: Dylan Guenther Becomes First Player With 50 Career Goals for Utah Mammoth with recent win