How NC State and Hurricanes came to agree on one big thing: an outdoor hockey game
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Orange traffic cones were first spotted dotting the turf at N.C. State’s Carter-Finley Stadium in February 2019, the outline roughly that of a hockey rink.
It also happened that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was in Raleigh to attend a Carolina Hurricanes game at PNC Arena. Social media was all atwitter.
Four years later, those cones will be replaced by a rink for the Hurricanes’ first outdoor hockey game – twice delayed during the coronavirus pandemic but finally to be played Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023 against the Washington Capitals at Carter-Finley.
More than 55,000 fans should pack the Wolfpack’s stadium for the 2023 NHL Stadium Series game to be shown in prime time by ESPN that will give the Hurricanes, N.C. State, the City of Raleigh, Wake County and the Triangle a showcase and some seemingly priceless exposure.
It underscores a degree of cooperation between the Hurricanes and NCSU that could be vital in the future plans for PNC Arena, the home for Canes games and Wolfpack men’s basketball.
“This is just one regular-season game, one day, but I think it’s so different and so special that I’d put it at or near the top of big events in this market in the last 20 years,” Scott Dupree, executive director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, said in an interview. “I can’t remember where there’s been this much talk and anticipation this far out.
“It feels different than just a big event. It feels like there’s a little extra ‘umph’ behind it because it’s different and it’s new.”
2023 NHL Stadium Series ticket demand
There’s certainly been a ticket demand. Canes president and general manager Don Waddell said that the team initially received 18,650 tickets and sold them in three hours. Then came another 3,000 allotment -- sold. Then another 3,000. Sold.
“And in time I think there will be more tickets available in this market,” Waddell said.
The outdoor game is a collaboration between the Hurricanes and NCSU, whose relationship at times has been contentious in the past — heated disputes over the Wolfpack’s basketball scheduling at PNC Arena arose a decade ago – but much smoother in recent years.
In this case, the Hurricanes approached N.C. State about holding the game at Carter-Finley, university leaders approved, contracts were signed and that was pretty much that. The rest is logistics.
“Obviously it’s not happening without NC State, without their partnership and support and them buying into this, agreeing to do it and wanting to do it,” Dupree said.
Dupree is a member of the local organizing committee for the Stadium Series event. Also on the committee are Mike Forman, the Hurricanes’ director of marketing, and Stephanie Menio, deputy athletic director at N.C. State.
Forman said the NHL signed separate contracts with the Hurricanes and N.C. State in setting up the venue for the game.
“With NC State it’s from the facility standpoint and a little bit with the operations standpoint, and with the Hurricanes in it being our game and our event,” Forman said in an interview.
“Essentially what they do (in the NHL) is they come in and buy out the game from us. They pay State to rent out the facility and other expenses. They buy the game from us and that’s why it’s not included in our season ticket-packages and is a separate sale. It’s truly a league event.”
A weekend for Canes, NC State, downtown Raleigh
Nor will it be a one-day thing, Forman said. The Hurricanes are hosting the Montreal Canadiens at PNC Arena on Thursday, Feb. 16. There will be a FanFest celebration in downtown Raleigh on Friday, then a concert that night at PNC Arena.
Saturday belongs to the NHL as attention shifts fully to Carter-Finley and the area surrounding the stadium.
“The NHL takes over,” Forman said. “They’ll be on property two weeks prior, not only changing over Carter-Finley and getting the ice ready but also on property putting up signage and branding opportunities.
“State’s been great, to make the facility available for walk-throughs and making sure they’re cooperating with us and the league on requests on operations and food and beverage to parking to security to retail – just a lot of different operational aspects.
“They’ve been great to work with. They know it will be a great spotlight for NC State as well. To have any Saturday night broadcast on (ESPN) is great for our brand and their brand.”
N.C. State will host North Carolina in a men’s basketball game on Sunday at PNC Arena to complete the sweep of weekend events.
Should unfavorable weather postpone the hockey game, it could be played Sunday night, Forman said.
The Hurricanes owner’s push for an outdoor game in Raleigh
A year ago, the Stadium Series game was staged at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The Predators lost 3-2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning with 68,619 in attendance at the Titans’ stadium.
The push for an outdoor game in Raleigh came soon after Tom Dundon became majority owner of the Hurricanes in 2018. Dundon was relentless in his pursuit, Bettman has said,
“The league didn’t laugh in our faces but they probably laughed a little internally in terms of there may be other markets they thought were more deserving,” Forman said. “Tom is a convincing individual and I think he actually had them on-board before our on-ice success.
“I will say they probably were hesitant at the time. Our attendance was rising but nowhere close to where it is now and has been the last four years in terms of the rising trend and us going to the (Stanley Cup) playoffs.”
The Hurricanes were selected for an outdoor game early in 2020 but the NHL announced in December 2020 that the Feb. 20, 2021 game was being postponed because of the pandemic. A proposed game in February 2022 then was postponed by mutual agreement between the team and league, Waddell said, and the 2022 game subsequently held in Nashville.
Now, finally, it’s Raleigh’s turn.
“This will have the fan fest and concert to a State basketball game to a celebration of food and music. It’s probably going to be more a celebration about this community than just a Carolina Hurricanes hockey game and NHL event,” Forman said. “Everything we see quantitatively and qualitatively show from a data perspective it will be the biggest event we’ve hosted from a Carolina Hurricanes standpoint. It’s going to be a major, major event for this area.”
Forman added one last thought: “Just pray for good weather.”
This story was originally published October 17, 2022 at 5:50 AM with the headline "How NC State and Hurricanes came to agree on one big thing: an outdoor hockey game."
