The Winter Classic has become a staple on the National Hockey League calendar since the first outdoor game took place all the way back in 2008. And for the first time in history — a full 18 years after the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres in Orchard Park, NY — the event will be heading to the Sunshine State.
The 2026 Discover Winter Classic will see the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers and New York Rangers do battle at loanDepot Park in Miami this Friday, January 2. It will be the southernmost outdoor game in NHL history, and it's going to be quite interesting to see how the ice holds up in nearly 70°F weather.
The tilt, which is set to begin shortly after 8:00 p.m. ET, is the highlight of Week 13 in the National. The league's 44th game on the ODR should be a dandy. And less than 24 hours later, we will officially reach the halfway mark of the 2025-26 season. The 13th and final contest on Saturday's schedule marks game No. 656 of the year — or, exactly 50 percent through. Time flies.
Not to be overshadowed this week is finalized Olympic rosters, which will be announced on New Year's Eve. There will be a couple of absolutely stacked teams with NHL players returning to the festivities for the first time in over a decade, and simultaneously, no shortage of snubs. Each Olympic team consists of 22 skaters and three goaltenders, and after months of predictions, we'll finally get some answers.
With the campaign reaching the halfway point, and the holiday break in the rearview, things are going to get very interesting down the stretch. The playoff race in both conferences is heating up in a huge way, and every matchup is going to be important once the calendar flips. From everyone here at ClutchPoints, a very Happy New Year, wherever and however you are celebrating — and thanks again for reading the NHL Power Rankings.
Previous 2025-26 NHL Power Rankings: Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Colorado Avalanche (no change)
We've almost lost track of how long the Avalanche have dominated the NHL Power Rankings — almost — and we're status quo approaching the halfway mark. Colorado has opened up another seven-game heater, the longest active win streak in the Western Conference. The Avs have beaten some great teams during that stretch, including the Panthers, Wild and Golden Knights. They've also built a six point cushion in the President's Trophy race, with two games in hand on the Stars and no indication of slowing down anytime soon. The most glaring evidence of dominance is the ridiculous plus-63 goal differential, which is far and away the best in the National Hockey League. A busy four-game week gets going against the visiting Kings on Monday as the race towards immortality continues.
2. Dallas Stars (no change)
No change at No. 1, and no change at No. 2 in CP's PR's in Week 13 — but the Stars are barely holding on to an all-too-familiar second place. Dallas has lost two games in a row, both past regulation. They dropped a 4-3 final to the Red Wings in overtime on Tuesday, and fell 4-3 to the Blackhawks, this time in a shootout, four days later. It came on the heels of four consecutive wins, but still, the Wild are knocking on the door and now only five points back. The Stars still haven't lost in regulation since December 13, but they'll be looking to get back to their winning ways on New Year's Eve at American Airlines Center. That'll be easier said than done against a red-hot Sabres team that is rocketing up the leaderboard (more on that a bit later).
3. Minnesota Wild (no change)
The Wild are oh-so-close to earning a spot in the top-two, but they'll have to spend at least one more week behind their Central Division rivals. Minnesota has won eight of 10 games, and picked up a point in nine of those, improving to a sparkling 23-10-6 on the campaign. Quinn Hughes has been an excellent fit in the State of Hockey, while the star power of Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy is showing out on a game-to-game basis. Add a terrific goaltending tandem of Filip Gustavsson and Calder Trophy hopeful Jesper Wallstedt, and you have a team that nobody wants to see in Round 1. That's especially true following rumors that GM Bill Guerin wants to add another scoring forward ahead of the deadline.
4. Florida Panthers (+1)
The good times keep on rolling for the defending champs, who were .500 at the beginning of December and are now 20-15-2 as the extended heater continues. The Panthers have won eight of 11 to climb back into a playoff spot, and they're only seven points back of the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Things in Sunrise should only get better once Matthew Tkachuk returns to the lineup, which could happen as soon as the Winter Classic at the home of MLB's Miami Marlins on Friday night. First, the Cats will welcome the Capitals and Canadiens to Amerant Bank Arena for a back-to-back on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
5. Tampa Bay Lightning (+1)
The Lightning might be behind the Panthers in the NHL Power Rankings, but they remain ahead of their bitter rivals in league standings. Tampa Bay beat Florida 4-2 last Saturday, and have won four in a row overall. That has them back in the top-five, although the Power Rankings want to see more before putting them any higher. As it stands, the Bolts are 22-13-3 and back to a familiar place: second in the Atlantic Division. And this has been without the services of a couple of key players. This roster is getting healthy and getting scary, with Brandon Hagel returning to the lineup for Sunday's 5-4 shootout win over the Habs. JJ Moser also earned a hefty extension last week, inking an eight-year, $54 million pact which will keep him in the Sunshine State for the foreseeable future.
6. Carolina Hurricanes (-2)
Speaking of Florida teams, the Hurricanes have had quite a tough time against both of them as of late. The Panthers have beaten the Canes twice in the last 10 days, while the Lightning also got the better of their cross-division foes. A 5-2 victory over the Red Wings was a nice way to end the Christmas holidays on Saturday, but considering it's now been an uncharacteristic three losses in four tries, Carolina is heading the wrong way in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 13. Thank goodness for Brandon Bussi, who has stabilized a goaltending room that is looking leakier than it has in a long time. Rod Brind'Amour's troops will look for better fortune during a busy four-game week, starting with a visit from the Rangers on Monday night.
7. Detroit Red Wings (+1)
The Red Wings continue to string together positive results, and because of it they're seeing, well, positive results. Detroit are the kings of the Atlantic Division through 40 games, opening up their best record in nearly a decade at 23-14-3. They've won nine of 12 and are looking like a serious playoff contender as we reach the halfway mark of the 2025-26 season. And most of this has been without Patrick Kane, who finally returned to the lineup for Sunday's 3-2 win over the Maple Leafs at Little Caesars Arena. This is a city and a state that is just desperate for playoff hockey, and if this pace keeps up, the Wings will still be playing hockey at the end of April.
8. Vegas Golden Knights (-1)
The holiday season has not been kind to the Golden Knights, who have lost four of their last five games, and somehow, suffered 11 defeats past regulation through 36 total contests. The absence of Jack Eichel — first to an illness and now to a lower-body injury — has loomed large, while Carter Hart is continuing to find his footing and rotating excellent starts and forgettable ones. Despite the poor play as of late, Vegas remains 17-8-11 and first place in the Pacific Division, and if they had been able to secure a few more points in overtime and shootouts, the record would be even better. This is yet another team with a busy four-game Week 13 schedule, which begins with a stiff test against the visiting Wild at T-Mobile Arena on Monday.
9. Edmonton Oilers (+1)
Nothing that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl do surprises us these days, but the two superstars have dragged the Oilers back into the playoffs. The pair have gone nuclear offensively, with McDavid up to a league-leading 68 points in 39 games, and Draisaitl at 56 points of his own. And Edmonton is benefiting, now winners of eight of 12 en route to snagging the No. 3 seed in the Pacific Division just ahead of the New Year. Huge credit to Connor Ingram, who after a nightmare tenure in the American Hockey League has started each of the Oil's last three games and won two of them — while allowing just seven total goals. This will still be Tristan Jarry's net once he's healthy, but Ingram looking like this is ultra-encouraging for both player and club. The Oilers will play three games this week, first against Winnipeg in Manitoba on Monday before returning home to host the Bruins and Flyers on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively.
10. Montreal Canadiens (+1)
The Canadiens are back into the NHL Power Rankings top-10 after a strong couple of showings. Montreal hasn't lost in regulation since December 16, and have picked up eight of a possible 10 points since then. Juraj Slafkovsky has been the offensive leader as of late; the former No. 1 overall pick has managed eight points over a four-game point streak. And Jacob Fowler has started four of the last six games between the pipes, proving that he belongs at the major league level in the process. It looks like the Habs might have three NHL-level goaltenders once Samuel Montembeault returns from his conditioning stint, and it'll be interesting to see how management deals with that. Still, it's been another promising stretch in Quebec, and the Canadiens are third in the Atlantic at 20-12-6 approaching the New Year.
11. Washington Capitals (-2)
With every game that goes by, we get more worried about the Capitals. We thought that last year's regular-season Eastern Conference champions had put their early-campaign woes in the rearview, but that is just not the case. After winning 10 of 12 games between November 17-December 3, Washington has been just brutal, to the tune of seven losses in 10 tries. They've fallen out of a top-three spot in the Metro, and are now holding on to a wildcard berth by mere points. Logan Thompson has come back to earth after a dominant stretch in goal, while Alex Ovechkin has managed just four points in his last 10. Not good in the nation's capital, but the squad will look to build on a 4-3 overtime victory against the Devils on Saturday ahead of a tilt with the defending champs in Florida on Monday.
12. Buffalo Sabres (+10)
Are the Sabres a playoff team? That's the question we've all been asking ourselves as Buffalo has opened up a ridiculous eight-game winning streak — the longest current heater in the National Hockey League. Everything is going right in Western New York, and Lindy Ruff's group has gone from Eastern Conference bottom-feeder to a single point out of a playoff spot. We haven't seen the Sabres this close to the dance in years, and we're here for it, especially the play of Alex Lyon and Ukko Pekka-Luukkonen between the pipes. Naturally, they're getting the biggest jump of any team in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 13. Buffalo will look to keep the winning streak alive over a challenging three-game road trip that takes them to St. Louis Monday, Dallas Wednesday and Columbus Saturday.
13. New York Islanders (+2)
Don't look now, but the Islanders are eighth in league standings as they continue to build momentum as December rolls on. New York has picked up a point in six of nine, and Bo Horvat is back in the lineup after missing some time with injury. With Ilya Sorokin nursing an ailment of his own, David Rittich has stepped up admirably, shutting out the Rangers on Saturday and making 31 saves on 34 shots in a hard-luck loss to the Blue Jackets the next day. Mathew Barzal avoided a suspension for a nasty slash on Columbus' newest player in Mason Marchment in that game. At 21-14-4, the Isles are looking good, and they occupy second in the Metropolitan Division — with only three points separating them from the top of the conference — ahead of the New Year.
14. New Jersey Devils (no change)
Unfortunately, Jack Hughes' return to the lineup has not coincided to too much success on the ice. The Devils have lost three in a row and four of six, but the NHL Power Rankings is giving them the benefit of the doubt — and no penalty — in Week 13. New Jersey is still struggling to find an identity, with Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen both struggling, and a couple of key pieces looking invisible. One of those is Dougie Hamilton, who doesn't have a single point (!) in his last 15 games. This roster badly needs to turn things around, and a great chance awaits over a four-game slate that matches them up against the Leafs, Jackets, Mammoth and Hurricanes this week.
15. Anaheim Ducks (-3)
The wheels continue to fall off for the Ducks, who are holding onto a Western Conference playoff spot but fading quickly after losing six of eight games. That's disappointing considering how good Anaheim was throughout November. In the dog days of this month, Joel Quenneville's club has dropped to 21-15-2, which is still excellent, but the recency bias does not look good. The NHL Power Rankings is being patient considering the plethora of talent on the roster, but the Ducks need to figure things out or they'll soon be in a too-familiar spot: out of the dance entirely.
16. Ottawa Senators (no change)
Despite winning four of their last six, the Senators are standing pat in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 13 for one reason: Linus Ullmark. Ottawa's starting goaltender is taking a leave of absence from the team, leaving Leevi Merilainen as the de facto starter. His first showing as the bonafide No. 1 option wasn't good, as the Maple Leafs hung six on him in a 7-5 Sens loss on Saturday. He'll be back between the pipes and looking for better fortune against the Blue Jackets on Monday, and he could probably use some more help from the team in front of him in that one. It'll be interesting to see how the squad fares without Ullmark, but they're already counting the days until he's back in the fold.
17. Philadelphia Flyers (+1)
Rick Tocchet has steered the Flyers into a playoff spot in his first year in Philly, and that's probably best-case scenario for this franchise right now. But they've floundered as of late, losing six of nine, including a hugely disappointing 4-1 defeat at the hands of the lowly Kraken in the final game of Week 12. Still, they can't be mad with where they're at ahead of the New Year: 19-11-7 and second in the Metropolitan Division. And that's with Matvei Michkov continuing to struggle. There are a lot of solid pieces on this offense, and the blue line is in the best shape it's been in years, especially with Rasmus Ristolainen back in the fold. It'll be interesting to see if the Flyers can keep up this pace in January and beyond.
18. San Jose Sharks (-1)
Already 18 wins for the Sharks at the end of December? How about that. San Jose is in a Western Conference playoff spot despite a minus-17 goal differential, but they don't ask how, they ask how many. Last season, it took this team until the middle of March to get win No. 18, so yes, it's been a terrific campaign for the California franchise — whether or not they remain in postseason positioning at the end of the regular season. Macklin Celebrini continues his sophomore dominance, with 57 points in 38 games, while he finally has a supporting cast in 2025-26. The difference is probably going to be the goaltending; Yaroslav Askarov remains up-and-down, but if he can settle into an above average netminder, this team has a chance. Either way, there's a bright light emerging at the end of the rebuild tunnel.
19. Boston Bruins (-6)
The Bruins had won five of six games just under two weeks ago, and were about to open up a five-game homestand. Things were looking good. But instead of riding the hot streak, Boston has lost five games in a row — four of them at home — and in the process fallen nearly to the bottom of the conference. That's how crowded it is right now in the East, with virtually no room for error. Unfathomably, David Pastrnak was skating on the third line at practice on Monday, which we never thought we'd see from one of the league's best wingers. After a hugely unsuccessful stretch at TD Garden, the B's are now hitting the road and making the rounds of Western North America, travelling through Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Seattle between now and January 6.
20. Calgary Flames (+1)
Dustin Wolf has returned to the level that almost won him the Calder Trophy in 2024-25, and the Flames are officially back to relevance in the Western Conference. With Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar each anchoring a pair — and playing huge minutes — the Flames have won seven of 10 and now sit just three points back of a playoff spot. They won't end the season there if GM Craig Conroy moves a couple of his trade chips ahead of the deadline, but there have got to be some tough conversations happening in Calgary right now nonetheless. After winning the latest edition of the Battle of Alberta on Saturday, the Flames will welcome the Bruins to the Saddledome on Monday night.
21. New York Rangers (-2)
The Rangers continue to hover right around the .500 mark in 2025-26, and that's not going to do them any favors in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 13. New York needs to open up some type of winning streak, but that's hard to do when you never know what version you'll get of this team on any given night. Is it a team capable of crushing a squad like the Capitals 7-3, which happened on Tuesday? Or is it one that cannot find a single goal against a club like the Islanders four days later? That's been the story of the Blueshirts' season, and it has them outside of a playoff spot through 40 games. Not great in Mike Sullivan's first campaign behind the bench. It'll be interesting to see what version we get for the Winter Classic on Friday night.
22. Los Angeles Kings (-2)
It's the same problem it's been all season for the Kings: they cannot find a way to score goals. Phil Danault is no longer part of the equation, but he wasn't producing offensively anyways. We are waiting for a hot streak from the usual suspects, but it's just not happening. Anze Kopitar has just 20 points in 33 games in his final season, while Quinton Byfield has 21 and Kevin Fiala, 24. It's just not good enough for an LA team that has lost six of eight and dropped to 16-12-9. The defense is still stingy — if not as stingy as previous years — but there just seems to be something missing. Let's see if Ken Holland rectifies that ahead of the deadline.
23. Utah Mammoth (no change)
The Mammoth have been decent in December, hovering around .500 and sitting exactly there at 18-18-3 overall through 39 games. Things are going to get much more difficult without Karel Vejmelka, who was labelled day-to-day but was placed on injured reserve on Monday. Not only has he been a bright spot this year, he's started over 70 percent of Utah's games. It's going to be the Vitek Vanecek show for the next little while, and early returns have been great; he allowed just one goal against the fearsome Avalanche on December 23, and they haven't played since. That will change on Monday night against the visiting Predators.
24. Pittsburgh Penguins (no change)
After losing eight games in a row, the Penguins have finally stemmed the bleeding ahead of the New Year. Pittsburgh has won two of three, including a 7-3 shellacking of Chicago on Sunday night. That saw Justin Brazeau score his first career hat trick, and he's been a hidden gem for the club this season. The Pens are still hanging around at 16-12-9, although they're a point out of a playoff spot in the East. Arturs Silovs has been much more capable than Stuart Skinner since the latter was traded from Edmonton, and it'll be interesting to see how head coach Dan Muse splits up the starts going forward.
25. Nashville Predators (+1)
The Predators continue to play at their best pace in two seasons, and they're slowly but surely climbing their way up the NHL Power Rankings. Nashville has now won eight of 12 games, and the magic number to get back into a playoff spot is down to four. That's got to be hugely encouraging for everyone in Tennessee, including Steven Stamkos, who has finally remembered that he's a sniper. The veteran forward has had a rough go of it with the Preds, but he's now just three goals away from 600. He's going to be the 22nd player to achieve the notable feat, but it probably won't happen on home ice, with the team in the midst of a seven-game road trip that will keep them away from Smashville until the second week of January.
26. St. Louis Blues (+2)
The Blues are chalk full of underperforming veterans, but Justin Faulk is not one of them. The stalwart blue liner is leading the team in goals and third in points, which is great for him, but not so good for St. Louis. There's not a ton of offensive production to go around, but they've won four of seven to get almost back to .500 at 15-16-8. As usual, Jordan Binnington is struggling while Joel Hofer is playing great, leading to even more difficult choices for HC Jim Montgomery. The Blues will look to halt the Sabres' long win streak on Monday, and it'll be Hofer getting the nod for the cross-conference tilt.
27. Toronto Maple Leafs (no change)
No one seems to know what the problem is with Auston Matthews, but we can all agree that the Maple Leafs need him to be much, much better if they hope to make the playoffs come April. Toronto followed up a three-game skid by beating Pittsburgh and Ottawa in regulation, before falling to Detroit in overtime. All in all, a good bounce back, although the Leafs remain in last place in the Atlantic Division. That sounds a lot worse than it is, as Craig Berube's group is just a couple of wins away from being back in a playoff spot. They'll look to get there by beating the Devils, Jets, and Islanders, in that order, in Week 13.
28. Seattle Kraken (+4)
The Kraken did not like being put in the basement of ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings for the first time ever. Not at all. Seattle has won four in a row since, all in regulation, riding some terrific goaltending from Joey Daccord and Phil Grubauer in the process. That's giving them a healthy jump up the leaderboard despite concerning underlying numbers — such as a minus-15 goal differential through 36 games. Still, the Kraken are just a point out of a playoff spot, and if they can get some more offensive production up and down the lineup, they could be a dark horse to stay competitive throughout the second half. They'll have a great chance to make a four-game win streak into six, with the Canucks and Predators visiting Climate Pledge Arena this week.
29. Winnipeg Jets (-4)
Another week of pure pain for the Jets, who have completely fallen off a cliff even with Connor Hellebuyck back in the lineup. Unbelievably, Winnipeg has lost five games in a row, eight of nine and 10 of 12, dropping to 15-17-4 in the process. What on earth happened to the 2024-25 President's Trophy winners? At this point, the club is just trying to stay out of the Western Conference basement, and even 29th in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 13 seems mighty generous amid these struggles. There's absolutely no reason for optimism in Manitoba right now, and something needs to change fast if this franchise still has playoff aspirations in the back half of the season.
30. Vancouver Canucks (-1)
There were probably some people who thought the Canucks would never lose again after trading Quinn Hughes. But following an uncharacteristic four-game winning streak after shipping out the captain, Vancouver has come back to earth, losing 5-2 to Philadelphia last Monday and 6-3 to San Jose five nights later. Thatcher Demko could probably use a break after starting six of seven games, and it'll be Kevin Lankinen between the pipes in Seattle on Monday. That's one of two meetings against the Kraken this week, along with tilts against the Flyers and Bruins to close out a busy seven-day stretch in British Columbia.
31. Columbus Blue Jackets (no change)
The news of the week for the Blue Jackets came just before the NHL Power Rankings were published on Monday, with Yegor Chinakhov getting the change of scenery he requested. GM Don Waddell shipped the Russian to the Penguins, and got a solid return in the form of two draft picks — a second and a third — along with Danton Heinen. That's a tidy piece of work considering Chinakhov has struggled this year and wanted out. Otherwise, Columbus is battling hard to stay above .500, and they've won two straight in that quest. Still dead last in the Eastern Conference, they'll look to make it back-to-back-to-back wins vs. the visiting Senators on Monday.
32. Chicago Blackhawks (-2)
Last week, we hoped that No. 30 was the furthest the Blackhawks were going to fall in the NHL Power Rankings. But although the Sharks have shed the last-place label for good, Chicago is back to the basement as the futility continues in 2025-26. Missing Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar is devastating, and this is arguably the worst roster in the league without those two centers. The Hawks have won just four times since November 20, and most of the plethora of losses have come in regulation. Getting Bedard back will help right the ship — and he was back on the ice on Monday — but it's clear that this roster still has a ways to go before coming out of the rebuild. Most of the veterans have been hugely disappointing without No. 98, and the franchise can't only rely on the young guns. After getting crushed 7-3 by the Penguins, the Blackhawks will try to remain ahead of the Canucks and out of the West basement when the Isles visit the United Center on Tuesday.
