We’ve finally arrived to the big weekend that’s been circled since it was announced last year: for the first time in franchise history, the Carolina Hurricanes will take part in one of the NHL’s special outdoor games. Taking place just across their usual home parking lot at the friendly confines of PNC Arena, the ice has been set up on the North Carolina State University Wolfpack’s football field for the 2023 Stadium Series. It’s a huge moment in the history of the organization, one that shines the national hockey spotlight on Raleigh, and provides the league with a chance to showcase one of its very best teams while they’re at it.
While this is the first time the Hurricanes will play in a Winter Classic or Stadium Series, they do have some experience in the outdoor games on the roster; team captain Jordan Staal appeared in the 2008 and 2011 Winter Classics with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Derek Stepan skated at the historic Yankee Stadium while with the New York Rangers, and defenseman Brent Burns‘ San Jose Sharks hosted the 2015 Stadium Series in southern California. On the other side, this will be the Washington Capitals’ fourth appearance, including the Winter Classic in 2011 and 2015.
I’ll personally be attending the game, so expect a full breakdown on everything from the venue to the game to the entertainment value in the following days. For now, let’s take a look at all the details you need to know ahead of Saturday night’s showdown between the Hurricanes and their rival from D.C.
Capitals in Survival Mode
First and foremost, this is obviously a very real NHL game that counts the same as the other 81 on the schedule. Two important points are up for grabs, with the Hurricanes trying to fend off the New Jersey Devils atop the Metropolitan Division, and the Capitals doing their best to fight for their playoff lives. They currently sit 28-23-6 on the season, good for fifth place in the Metropolitan Division. They’re in the heat of a really tough race for the Eastern Conference Wild Card right now, with six teams sitting within five points of each other grinding for the two postseason spots.
Making things especially difficult for the Capitals right now is the absence of their on-ice leader, the fearsome Alexander Ovechkin. Sadly, the Washington captain lost his father this week, and has understandably taken some time to go home and be with family to mourn their loss. It’s a tough blow for the game, as missing one of the greatest goalscorers of all time is going to take a little luster off the on-ice matchup, but the situation is obviously a lot bigger than a hockey game.
Furthermore, superstar defenseman John Carlson has been out since late-December, and notorious power forward Tom Wilson has only played in eight games this season after recovering from offseason ACL surgery. The latter recently did return to action, only to block a shot in a January game and go right back on the shelf again. Neither is expected to be in the lineup for the Stadium Series game.
Even with three of their most important players sidelined, the Hurricanes learned just a couple days ago that they need to be prepared for a battle all the same. In their second game back from the break, the Hurricanes narrowly pulled off a 3-2 win in the nation’s capital. The undermanned Capitals largely carried the play, including a rare instance in which the Hurricanes were out-shot (36-30). There is still a lot of experience and talent on the Washington side, including dangerous offensive players such as T.J. Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom, and Evgeny Kuznetsov.
In the first couple of games back from break, the Hurricanes didn’t look like the same team that had ripped off seven straight wins preceding the All-Star festivities. They got smoked by the Rangers by a score of 6-2, squeaked out the aforementioned win against the Capitals, then struggled through 40 minutes of play against the lowly Montreal Canadiens before finding their legs and scoring four unanswered in the third period. However, they’re the type of team that thrives on rhythm and pace, and it often seems difficult for them to immediately get to that needed intensity and energy level after they have a long break between games. After finding their game again and getting back to themselves late in their most recent outing, look for the Hurricanes to carry that momentum and show up ready to play.
The Impact of the Stadium Series
The NHL’s Stadium Series coming to Raleigh, North Carolina, is obviously a big deal. Now, I won’t sit here and tell you that this game is going to make the Hurricanes more relevant on the national stage (where, I’ll admit, they’re under-appreciated, for many reasons I won’t get into today), or that the casual hockey fan will even care or maybe even take the time to watch a game between the Hurricanes and Capitals at all. The outdoor games just don’t generate the buzz they once did, perhaps save for the Winter Classic. That game feels like a bigger deal because of the exclusivity of only having one per year and happening on New Years’ Day, but one could even argue that it isn’t as exciting as it used to be.
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However, there is a big impact to be made by this game: a local one. The festivities have already been lively, with a packed “‘Canes Fan Fest” taking over downtown Raleigh on Friday featuring live music, fireworks, food trucks, all sorts of merch booths, street hockey, and even a handful of former players making appearances. Among those signing autographs at the event were former fan favorites and 2006 Stanley Cup champions Chad LaRose and Mike Commodore, as well as enforcer Jesse Boulerice (who was traded during the 2005-06 season, but he got a ring, too).
The whole idea of something like this is the growth of the game. The Stadium Series itself may be losing some of its luster after touring the country for nearly a decade now, but the spectacle of it all will always be exciting and memorable to those who get to experience it. While the players themselves will surely remember these games fondly, bringing their friends and family to town to take it all in, events like these are really all about expanding your reach and creating buzz about the team. Longtime hockey fans like myself will surely enjoy a unique hockey experience in this setting, but the bigger draw is the new fans that will be drawn to the sport during the game.
Who knows how many eyes that otherwise wouldn’t watch hockey will be tuned in to the game, and hockey is a game that tends to hook newbies in a real hurry. Not that it’s for everyone, but if even a handful of new fans are born this Saturday, isn’t that worth it?
This event is validation for the professional hockey franchise in North Carolina. It may be a non-traditional market, but when they have an owner like Tom Dundon willing to invest in the team and they start to see some results, the fans show up in droves. Talks of a move to Quebec City or Houston were always silly to begin with, but if anyone has any thoughts about hockey not needing to exist here, they need only look at a packed-out Fayetteville Street on Friday afternoon (a rainy, cold day, by the way) or check out the stand of Carter-Finley on Saturday. Hockey is thriving here, and that’s because of a rabid fanbase that has earned the right to experience this event.
A Special Week All Around for the Hurricanes
The Fan Fest and Stadium Series alone make this a big week in the Hurricanes’ history, with many alumni and national media in Raleigh to take part. However, the aforementioned game against the Canadiens was also special for another reason, that being the induction of longtime goaltending stalwart Cam Ward into the team’s Hall of Fame. Ward won the Conn Smythe as the Hurricanes’ starting goaltender for his efforts during their 2006 championship run, and holds the franchise record for wins with 318.
Ward became the first player inducted into the Hurricanes Hall of Fame, where he joins auto-inductees (players with their jersey retired were automatically included) Glen Wesley, Ron Francis, and Rod Brind’Amour. After being drafted by the Hurricanes in the first round of the 2002 NHL Draft, Ward played every season of his career except his final one with the team. He left as a free agent for the Chicago Blackhawks in the summer of 2018 before retiring a year later.
Despite starting his career on as high of a note as you possibly can, taking over for veteran Martin Gerber and carrying the team to a championship in 2006, Ward was in Raleigh during the very lean years. The starter of 701 regular-season NHL games made the playoffs just one other time in his 14-year career. Because of that, his legacy with the Hurricanes is somewhat divisive, with many fans lauding his longevity as an above-average goaltender on some bad teams. Others often wished for more, as despite his being solid, he never was truly in the conversation with the top goalies in the league. Either way you slice it, over the course of his career, Ward was never towards the top of the list of his teams’ problems, and it was great to see him get honored for his impact in an appropriate way.
Lastly, it should be noted how classy it was for Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis to have his entire team on the bench during the pre-game induction event to pay their respects. That’s not something that you often see from opposing teams during these types of ceremonies (and certainly isn’t expected of them), and it speaks to the character of the former star winger as the Canadiens’ bench boss. That’s a franchise that has a lot of holes to fill and a long road towards contention again, but between his playing career and the leadership he’s shown in his short time behind their bench, it feels like he’s the guy to get them on the right track sooner than later. He’s an easy guy to pull for.
It was fitting (and a smart, calculated move) that the Hurricanes fit Ward’s ceremony into this jam-packed week. The team got to spend the last few days honoring some of their history and celebrating with the fans, while the club got their legs back under them in some “warm-up” games of sorts. The main event comes on Saturday, and it’s going to be a highly memorable experience for tens of thousands of people. This type of event is meant to be entertaining, to provide a new, unique experience you can’t otherwise get, and draw attention to the best sport on the planet. So, whether you’re heading to Carter-Finley Stadium or just watching from home (or, I suppose, just going to read recaps or watch highlights afterwards), take a moment to sit back and look around, appreciate the spectacle, and enjoy yourself.
