After he took majority control of the team in 2018, Hurricanes owner Thomas Dundon made it a goal to have his club play in its first outdoor game. In 2019, Dundon invited NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to take a tour of Carter–Finley Stadium to see if it was feasible.[3] On February 15, 2020, the league initially announced that the Hurricanes would host the 2021 Stadium Series.[4] Before the league could finalize the game, the Hurricanes sought additional funding of $200,000 from the local government and other organizations to help offset the cost of hosting the game.[5]
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the league to delay the conclusion of the 2019–20 playoffs until late September, and consequently push the start of the 2020–21 season to January 2021.[6] On October 22, 2020, the NHL announced that it had postponed both the 2021 NHL Winter Classic and the 2021 All-Star Game due to "ongoing uncertainty" since both January events rely on fan participation.[7][8] The decision to further postpone the 2021 Stadium Series game was made on December 23.[9]
The Hurricanes later asked the league to move their outdoor game to the 2022–23 season,[10] with team president and general manager Don Waddell stating that he wanted "to assure a safe environment".[11] On February 4, 2022, the league confirmed that the Hurricanes would host the 2023 game,[1] and later announced on March 3, 2022, that the Washington Capitals would be the opponent.[2]
The game was Carolina's first outdoor game and Washington's fourth.[2]
Game summary
The 2023 NHL Stadium Series gets underway just after the opening faceoff.
Carolina controlled most of the game, scoring the first four goals en route to a 4–1 win. Martin Necas scored a goal and two assists, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Teuvo Teravainen each scored a goal and an assist, Paul Stastny had a goal, and Frederik Andersen made 24 out of 25 saves and had an assist. Tom Wilson scored Washington's lone goal in the third period.[12]
