Canes fans love a pregame—and this official NHL tailgate party of the Stadium Series is pregame #goals. The free fam-friendly pregame hockey fest feats live music, special appearances, interactive games and attractions, photo ops with the Stanley Cup and more. It promises to be a “Truly” unforgettable game-day experience. Here, everything you need to know.
Where: PNC Arena’s East 1000 Parking Lot in Raleigh
When: Saturday, Feb. 18, 2–7:30pm
Cost: This event is free, but a 2023 NHL Stadium Series game ticket is required for admission.
Activities:
Take photos with the iconic Stanley Cup, which will be on display from 2–7pm. Do it for the ’Gram!
Explore the United by Hockey Mobile Museum, which aims to raise awareness of and educate fans about diverse individuals within the game of hockey.
Jam out to musical performances from the NC State Marching Band (Drumline) and Justin Trawick & The Common Good.
Face-off in a Bubble Hockey Game to see which Truly pack reigns supreme; take a pic in the interactive Truly photo booth; meet an NHL legend; and test your hockey skills through Truly’s Accuracy Challenge, Bullseye Battle and Target Practice games.
Participate in BioSteel’s stick handling and trick shot challenges, plus sample BioSteel flavors and take home a branded towel.
Hang with Stormy and the Canes Crew
Get in on the fun with inflatable favorites like a giant Stormy bounce house, obstacle course and snapshot booth.
Deck yourself out in 2023 Stadium Series apparel, headwear and collectibles at the NHL Official Merchandise trailer – A Fanatics Experience.
Visit Honda in the Fan Zone to try your luck at the Honda Puck Drop Game or showcase your hockey skills via Goalie Power Play and Precision Passing for a chance to win fun prizes.
Operate autonomous CAT equipment, shoot for prizes and learn about CAT services.
Visit the Navy Federal Credit Union Hockey Puck Shot Challenge to test your range and accuracy to receive a hockey-themed prize. Plus, snap a photo and show off what you’d look like all suited up for the game via the photo opp.
The inaugural EA SPORTS NHL 23 Stadium Series Open will feature top NHL gamers from 2:30–6pm. These gamers will compete for cash prizes aboard the Allied eSports Truck, a versatile tractor trailer that has built in gaming consoles and LED screens for fans to follow the action live.
Test your shooting skills with NHL Network’s target inflatable.
Get your own personalized NHL Stadium Series trading card from Upper Deck, the exclusive trading card partner of the NHL. Upper Deck is also giving fans an opportunity to win fun prizes by playing exciting games such as Pack Wars, Box Hockey and more.
99.9 The Fan, the flagship station for the Canes, is giving attendees the opportunity to enter for a chance to win the ultimate fan prize pack.
Musical Acts Announced
Country music entertainer Jake Owen will be the featured performer during the Stadium Series game, while alt-rock group lovelytheband is rockin’ out at the official PreGame tailgate party.
Take warning, Raleigh! The Stadium Series is finally upon us, and Raleigh is set to take center stage as the world watches when the Canes and Capitals hit the ice for a matchup years in the making. Beyond the weeklong star-studded cast of events, it’s also big business for our city orchestrated by a roster of major players. Here, we take a deep dive into all things #StadiumSeries—from our exclusive day-by-day downloadable Guide(presented by Charles & Colvard) to a look at those involved in bringing this celebration to life to the long-lasting impact this will have on our city—NTM our podcast detailing all the fanfare.
2023 NHL Stadium Series Events Weeklong Day-by-Day Guide
Images from the NHL game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals on Oct. 31, 2022 in Raleigh, N.C. (Margaret DeBruhl/ Carolina Hurricanes), Frederik Andersen
The Stadium Series game is more than a game—it’s a weeklong unprecedented event that promises to rock you like a Hurricane.
It is happening! In more Stadium Series news the Canes Alumni Game is official! The FREE 10th annual Alumni Game is set for Monday, Feb. 20, 4pm, at Carter-Finley Stadium.
The Carolina Hurricanes Fan Fest music lineup is here! A fab lineup of 12 North Carolina artists will play live across two stages from in Downtown Raleigh from 11am-9pm.
The Stadium Series game is more than a game—it’s a weeklong unprecedented event that promises to rock you like a Hurricane. Here: Know how to go.
Take warning—the Canes are set to host the long-anticipated NHL Stadium Series game at Carter-Finley this month—and with that comes all the fanfare you’d expect… to the tune of a weeklong celebration, kicking off Thursday, Feb. 16, with a Canes home game where its Stanley Cup team star goalie Cam Ward will be inducted as the inaugural member of the Carolina Hurricanes Hall of Fame, and culminating in NC State honoring the 40th Anniversary of the 1983 Championship Team as the Pack plays host to Wake Forest.
“Part of our pitch to the league in terms of securing the Stadium Series game was that we’d work with all of our partners and entities to make a big weekend out of it,” says Carolina Hurricanes Chief Marketing Officer Mike Forman. “It wouldn’t just be a one-off game where the NHL’s coming to town just for that and that’s a wrap.”
To wit, Friday’s freeCarolina Hurricanes Fan Fest Presented by UNC Health. Carrying a huge footprint, the daylong Fan Fest will fete the Canes’ 25 years in NC with a slew of fam-friendly programming, music, activities, food trucks and vendors. It’s like NHL All Star Weekend Fan Fair meets the best feats of every Raleigh street fest to date—on steroids. Read: You’re gonna wanna play hooky in the name of hockey.
“The commitment from the Carolina Hurricanes and area partners to make this event happen is making this the event of 2023,” says Jennifer Martin, executive director of Shop Local Raleigh and producer of Fan Fest. A big part of that commitment is that it’s free and open to the public. “That’s one thing we want to stress because there are so many events going on that have paid components,” adds Forman.
The master plans also included working with the NHL for a Thursday night home game; helping to deliver a big-time Friday concert (hey, Hootie & the Blowfish!); and working with NC State to get a big ACC matchup against UNC scheduled for the weekend, explains Forman. “To host these games is pretty competitive,” he adds, “and most NHL clubs—if not all—would love to host either the Winter Classic or Stadium Series once or multiple times.”
Now, between the anticipation and the Canes vying for their fifth consecutive playoff trip, the vibes will be high. “People have been in a waiting game for almost three years,” says Forman. “Now, it’s getting real. … And it’s pretty special to be able to host this game during our 25th Anniversary Season in North Carolina. Our fan base has never been larger or more passionate than it is right now. We have the second-best record in all of hockey right now*. It feels like it was meant to be. … I wish it could’ve come even earlier, but the fact that it’s all kind of coming together this year makes it feel pretty special.” Puck, yeah. hurricanes.com
