Hockey in Tampa is supposed to come with palm trees, pirates, and mild winter air. This weekend, the pirates still showed up, the palm trees are still standing, but the weather flipped the script in a way no one saw coming.

When the NHL awarded Tampa Bay an outdoor Stadium Series game, the assumptions were easy. Raymond James Stadium. A rivalry matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins. Gasparilla vibes everywhere. And temperatures hovering around 70 degrees.

Instead, Tampa got real-deal hockey weather.

By the time the puck drops Sunday evening, temperatures are expected to fall into the upper 30s — a stunning turn for a city far more familiar with beach breezes than frozen breath. For Lightning players, the surprise has quickly turned into excitement.

“Last week it was 80,” Lightning center Yanni Gourde said. “This week it might be snowing. That’s crazy, but also super exciting.” Forward Nick Paul echoed the sentiment, embracing the novelty. “If you told anyone there could be snow in Tampa for an outdoor game, they wouldn’t believe you. Bundle up and enjoy it.”

This Stadium Series matchup marks Florida’s second outdoor NHL game this season, following January’s Winter Classic in Miami. That contest was the warmest Winter Classic ever played. This one? Not even close. Instead of record heat, Tampa is delivering conditions closer to a northern pond than a Gulf Coast evening.

Lightning head coach Jon Cooper couldn’t hide his disbelief. “I don’t know if in my 13 years here I’ve felt temperatures this cold on Feb. 1,” he said. “This is what hockey is meant to feel like.”

To protect the ice from Tampa’s unpredictable elements, the NHL unveiled a first-of-its-kind solution: a massive climate-controlled tent covering the rink during construction and practices. The steel-framed canopy helped maintain ice quality, but it also created a unique practice experience.

“It was a little dark under there,” Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy admitted. “Hopefully it gets colder so the ice firms up and we get that true outdoor feel.”

That atmosphere is exactly what Lightning veterans are hoping fans experience. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh described it best: “Cold air, breath in your lungs — that’s hockey.”

For a fan base used to sunshine, Sunday night offers something rare. The Lightning won’t be playing on a frozen pond, but under the lights at Raymond James Stadium, with cold air biting and 65,000 fans watching, it’ll feel close enough.

And for Tampa Bay, that’s what makes this Stadium Series game unforgettable before the puck even drops.