SUNRISE, Fla. — South Florida is no stranger to putting on major sporting events.

Fans will begin flocking to the area in the coming days for Super Bowl LIV. College football’s national championship also will be in Miami Gardens next January.

A few weeks after the national title game wraps up at Hard Rock Stadium, another big event will be held in Sunrise, as multiple sources have confirmed to The Athletic that the Florida Panthers have been awarded the 2021 NHL All-Star weekend.

This will be the fourth time the NHL has held its midseason classic in the Sunshine State. The Panthers previously hosted it in 2003 and it has been in Tampa twice — most recently in 2018.

The 2020 All-Star weekend is being held Jan. 24-25 in St. Louis, and the Panthers’ winning bid for 2021 will be announced officially there.

One thing is certain: The outdoor, red-carpet entrance on All-Star Friday leading into the Skills Competition should be a tad warmer next year.

The Panthers declined to comment on this report.

“Nothing against other places around the league, but we’re talking about January in Florida,” said Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad, a two-time All-Star in Columbus and Nashville. “This is where guys want to be.”

Said Vincent Trocheck: “An All-Star Game on the beach? That is awesome. With the sun and our weather, it is a vacation destination already.

“This would be huge for our city, our organization and for our fans. They would love it. They make the game so much fun for everyone even if you can’t get to the game. They’ll turn downtown into a hockey town.”

The tentative dates, based on past All-Star weekends, would be Jan. 29-30, as it is typically held during the two-week break between the NFL conference championship games and the Super Bowl, which next year will be held in Tampa.

Four goals in your #NHLAllStar debut? Dany Heatley could not be stopped in the 2003 #NHLAllStar Game! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4CPiaZwC88 — NHL (@NHL) January 14, 2020

Owner Vinnie Viola sold the league on bringing one of its premier regular-season events back to Florida with hopes that the excitement of having the NHL’s best in town will continue to grow the hockey community in South Florida.

The Panthers previously hosted the NHL draft in 2001 and again in 2015. The NHL promised Broward County it would consider bringing the All-Star weekend to town as part of the new arena lease agreement the team and county entered into five years ago.

Florida may not get an outdoor game anytime soon, but All-Star weekend in the sunshine is a natural — and should be a big hit with players and fans from around the league.

#Tbt to the 2015 #NHLDraft @theBBTCenter

South Florida, thank you for letting us be a part of your community! pic.twitter.com/Kd4omzWHlK — Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) August 6, 2015

The NHL had considered holding another World Cup of Hockey in 2021, but when that idea was shelved, the league announced it would hold an All-Star Game in its place.

Arizona and Las Vegas are also thought to have been considered for next year’s event. Four of the past five All-Star Games have been held in Western Conference cities. Expect Vegas to get one of these in the very near future.

Having the All-Star Game in a desirable location is something players get excited about.

“There are a lot of things to do here for players, either in Fort Lauderdale or Miami,’’ said Sasha Barkov, whose All-Star experience came in Tampa two years ago. “This is a great place. Players would really enjoy their time here.”

While the NHL has held the ASG in places like Columbus, Ottawa, St. Louis and San Jose in recent years, players seem most excited to attend when it is in a place where they can enjoy their off time — such as Tampa, Los Angeles and Nashville.

With the bye week now coinciding with the All-Star break, players from around the league are already headed to Miami, Fort Lauderdale and the Florida Keys during their downtime.

2003 NHL All Star Game. What a weekend. pic.twitter.com/tWUduKNxrz — ej (@Ekblad5Jesus) March 22, 2017

“When I went, it was in Los Angeles, and that was before the bye week was tied in so you flew out there, flew back and were back to practice,” said Trocheck, part of the Atlantic team in 2017.

“Now, you can surround the All-Star Game with a real vacation. I think everyone would enjoy that.”

Yes, next year, the All-Stars can join everyone else who is taking their talents to the South Florida beaches (or bring the family to the Orlando theme parks) during their midseason break.

South Florida could become the capital of hockey for a 10-day span with the number of players likely to be vacationing here.

“You would kill two birds with one stone,” said Keith Yandle, an All-Star in San Jose last year. “Everyone enjoys going to the All-Star Game, but some just want to use the break for vacation, head to the beach for a few days. Here, you can take care of both. It would be unbelievable.”

Due to the Panthers’ deal with Broward County, teams (the All-Star Game is currently a three-on-three tournament featuring the top players from the four divisions playing for a $1 million prize) will likely stay on Fort Lauderdale Beach with most — if not all — of the official league events being held within county limits.

In St. Louis, a Fan Fair has been set up at Union Station with a 5K race to be held through the downtown streets on Saturday morning. Green Day is scheduled for a free concert outside the arena before the All-Star Game.

Next year, expect hockey-themed fan events including concerts and interactive games to be held throughout Broward County, although Sunrise may be the center of the action with players, dignitaries and media shuttled over from the beach.

In 2003, a FanFest was set up on the large concourse outside the Sunrise arena and could be the site of the 2021 event as well.

“Having it here would be amazing,” Yandle said. “Probably one of the best All-Star experiences the league has ever had.”

(Top photo of the 2003 NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise, Fla.: Jamie Squire / Getty Images / NHLI)