RALEIGH — After a long wait, the Carolina Hurricanes have a date and opponent for their outdoor game.
The NHL announced that the 2023 Stadium Series game at Carter-Finley Stadium will be held Feb. 18, 2023, with the Hurricanes hosting the Washington Capitals.
The game was initially announced on Feb. 15, 2020, and scheduled for Feb. 20, 2021, at NC State’s football stadium adjacent to PNC Arena, but the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the game to a later date.
Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon made the outdoor game a priority after taking the team over.
“He has been relentless,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said back in 2020, “but more importantly, his main focus was, ‘I want to do this for the community. I want to do this for the fans. We’ve got a really good thing going, and I would like to be able to bring this to the Triangle and to our terrific fans.’”
Carter-Finley Stadium, home to NC State football, seats 57,583 for football, and choosing the Capitals — who are 3-0 in outdoor games — should alleviate any concerns that the game will be a sellout.
“We are pleased to be selected to participate in our fourth outdoor game next season versus the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2023 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series,” Capitals president Dick Patrick said in a release.
The Hurricanes and Capitals play for the second time this season Thursday night in Washington, D.C. The Capitals have lost three straight and are just 8-12-2 since the calendar flipped to 2022.
