MIAMI — Send the New York Rangers outdoors, and they become unbeatable.

Mika Zibanejad had a hat trick, Artemi Panarin scored twice and the Rangers beat the Florida Panthers 5-1 on Friday night in the Winter Classic — the first outdoor game played in the Sunshine State.

Alexis Lafrenière had three assists and Igor Shesterkin stopped 36 shots for the Rangers, who improved to 6-0-0 in outdoor games. Zibanejad added two assists, giving him the first five-point outdoor game in NHL history.

“It’s been amazing,” Zibanejad said. “It was a great effort. Not a whole lot of shots on goal, but we got it done.”

Sam Reinhart scored for Florida, which was playing outdoors for the first time and lost for the fourth time in its last six contests overall. The Panthers gave up goals to Zibanejad and Panarin 64 seconds apart late in the first period, giving New York a 2-0 lead, and the Rangers kept control the rest of the way.

Zibanejad’s third goal was an empty-netter with 1:28 left. Rangers fans tried throwing hats to no avail; the seats were too far from the ice for any of them to get even close to the playing surface.

The roof was open, as were the huge window panels behind what typically is left field at loanDepot Park — home of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins. There was some snow falling from the edges of the stadium, there were blasts of fire and after years of planning, there was hockey on a baseball field.

Did it work? Outdoor ice typically doesn’t hold up with temperatures in the 60s, and there were some player complaints that the surface wasn’t conducive to speedy play. But it worked well enough for the Rangers, who were 4-6-3 in their last 13 games coming into Friday.

The temperature of 63 degrees Fahrenheit (17 Celsius) at game time was the second-warmest of any of the NHL’s 44 outdoor games that have counted in the standings. It was 2 degrees cooler than on Feb. 27, 2016, when Detroit beat Colorado at Denver’s Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies.

The Rangers — with a snow effect around their walkway — were called to the ice at 8:13 p.m. The Panthers — as fire shot skyward along their path — came out about a minute later. And that’s about when snowflakes began falling from the top of the stadium, as the roof continued opening.

There was another celebration before faceoff, when Rangers and Panthers players who will be part of the U.S. Olympic hockey team at the Milan Cortina Games next month were introduced. Panthers defenseman Seth Jones made the team earlier Friday, as did injured Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk.

Tkachuk placed an American flag over Jones’ shoulders and the crowd roared.

It was a spectacle, as expected. The Rangers showed up in all-white outfits, as if it was a beach day. The Panthers came with a “Miami Vice” theme, wearing white suits, pastel shirts and even showing up in Ferraris instead of a bus.

“If you would have asked me 25 years ago … this might be the last place that I thought it would take place,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said. “So, I just think it speaks volumes for technology and its advancements and the ability to put a sheet of ice down in this type of environment.”

Jerry Welsh, a former longtime men’s basketball coach at SUNY Potsdam and a recent finalist for enshrinement into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 89.

Welsh’s son, Tim, who is a college men’s basketball analyst for ESPN, confirmed the news on Tuesday.

Welsh coached at Potsdam from 1968 to 1991 and guided the Bears to the NCAA Division III national title in 1981 and 1986, a season in which his team finished a perfect 32-0. The Bears’ win streak stretched to 60 into the 1986-87 season.

Welsh’s teams at Potsdam were NCAA Division III runners-up in 1979, 1982 and 1985. Overall, he was 494-141 over his 22 seasons at the school.

Welsh coached Iona for four seasons, starting with the 1991-92 campaign.

Welsh was among 17 finalists for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2025 class, and he is on the ballot for enshrinement into the 2026 class.

New England Patriots stars Stefon Diggs and Christian Barmore would not answer certain questions from reporters about criminal allegations against them as they prepare for their final game of the season and the upcoming playoffs. 

Diggs and Barmore faced reporters in the Patriots’ locker room Friday, refusing to give any substantial answers when pressed about their legal troubles. 

Diggs, who was accused of attacking a private chef during a dispute over money, said it was an “emotional time” for him, adding he’s “sorry I wasn’t available for those couple of days. It’s a different kind of time.”

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“It’s definitely an open case, so I can’t even say anything about it,” Diggs said, adding he would answer any football-related questions. 

At one point, when he was asked about the support he’s received from his teammates, Diggs responded, “Is that a football question? Regarding football, I’m going to continue to be the guy that I’ve been.” 

Diggs repeated the phrase “Is that a football question?” when he was asked if he had been in contact with Barmore about the situations they are in. 

“I try not to be rude. I said it in the beginning,” Diggs continued. 

Barmore, accused of domestic assault and battery after his girlfriend told police he had thrown her to the ground, told reporters multiple times, “I’m focused on Miami and playing football.”

Diggs allegedly strangled his female chef over money earlier this month. The woman told police Diggs “smacked her across the face,” that she tried to push him away and that he “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck.”

PATRIOTS COACH MIKE VRABEL ADDRESSES CRIMINAL ALLEGATIONS AGAINST TWO PLAYERS AHEAD OF PLAYOFFS

Barmore allegedly grabbed a woman’s phone while she was trying to leave his home. The alleged victim then “intended to open the door and scream for help, but Christian grabbed her before she could and threw her to the floor,” according to authorities.

Barmore then allegedly grabbed the victim by the shirt near her neck. Barmore also allegedly told the victim he would have his cousin “f— [her] up.” 

The NFL has said both Diggs and Barmore are eligible to play Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.

“There is no change to the status of Diggs or Barmore. Both are eligible to play at this time,” the league said in a statement. “Pursuant to the Personal Conduct Policy (attached), consideration for placement on the Commissioner Exempt List may be considered following formal charges in the form of an indictment by a grand jury, the filing of charges by a prosecutor or an arraignment in a criminal court.”

David Meier, one of the attorneys of record for Diggs, confirmed that the veteran NFL wide receiver categorically denies the claims brought against him, adding the dispute was between an employer and an employee.

“Stefon Diggs categorically denies these allegations. They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated and were never investigated because they did not occur. The timing and motivation for making the allegations is crystal clear: They are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction. Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law.”

Barmore’s attorney released a statement, saying, “We are confident that the evidence will demonstrate that no criminal conduct took place. Based on the facts and the law, we expect that this personal matter will be resolved in the near future, and both parties will move forward together.”

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Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was asked about the recent developments. 

“I would say not disappointing at all. These are allegations,” Vrabel said when asked how disappointing the “distractions” were ahead of the playoffs. “It’s things that we have to handle, and every day there’s distractions. Some are smaller than others. I’m confident that we’ll focus on the Dolphins, and those two individuals that you mentioned will be able to handle the ongoing legal process.” 

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