bringing outdoor hockey to miami
The 2026 NHL Winter Classic was set in Miami with a goal of making the impossible possible. Outdoor hockey in south Florida was an ambitious goal, and my team and I at Elevate were tasked with designing a graphical system that fits the bill. Our work included everything from graphics at NHL hotels, the NHL's New Years Eve Bash, the PreGame event, stadium exterior, stadium suites, concourse, retail locations, and the field itself surrounding the rink.
This was an incredible event, I can't believe how many people worked on this, and they got it all right.
paul maurice
florida panthers head coach
36k
fans in attendance
450
+
production files released
6
unique venues impacted
main design system
The final landing place for the design system was a mix between showing off the absurdity of snow in Miami with the classic hot pinks and blues of Miami Vice. What started as a fine grain texture to represent snow and ice evolved into a spray paint effect in a fun hot pink, reminiscent of the famous Wynwood Walls just 3 miles from the stadium.
Integrating the red and blue team colors into this system created an interesting place to keep some of the sand and snow textures, while still standing out bit from the sand and snow field design.
Final art pieces across scopes
conceptual work exploration
field design
My team was also tasked with the design of all graphics and fabricated items to be applied on the field. My responsibility in this was creating the beach and "snow beach" split to be printed on mesh and applied to the field. This scope was juggled with designing for the rest of the printed materials around Miami, requiring efficient processes to meet deadlines.
field design iteration
There was lots of iteration through the field design process, working with the NHL to craft visuals that fit the concept and be legible to any seat or camera shot, and adjusting the design and printed footprint to meet their budget.
