NHL Stadium Series outdoor hockey game has Carter-Finley Stadium getting all dressed up

N.C. State’s Carter-Finley Stadium is looking more and more like a hockey venue.

A week after initial preparations began for the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stadium Series outdoor game against the Washington Capitals, the ice was down in the rink Monday, and Zamboni machines constantly on the move as work continued.

The game will be played Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Wolfpack’s football stadium, which has been turned over to the NHL for the Hurricanes’ first outdoor appearance and the first outdoor hockey game in North Carolina.

Steve Mayer, the league’s chief content officer and event producer, said Monday there had been no major problems or unexpected logistical issues arise in the first week in the stadium, which he said would hold about 57,000 for the game.

“We’re on schedule and looking forward to Saturday,” Mayer said. “It’s going to be a beautiful day, perfect for hockey. Perfect.”

The forecast this week is for temperatures with highs in the 60s and low 70s — possibly 77 on Thursday — but with a much cooler Saturday. The forecast high for game day is 52 degrees, which could make for temperatures in the 30’s or 40’s at game time.

The one worrisome day is Friday, when the Canes and Caps are scheduled to hold practices on the outdoor rink and test out the ice surface. There’s a chance it could be a rainy day, with a high of 67 degrees.

There was rain on Sunday, but a Friday rain might be more problematic, forcing both teams inside for their practice sessions rather than the test run and also a chance take their families on the ice.

“The rain (Sunday) actually helped us,” Mayer said. “We’re trying to build ice, building a level of ice, and we use the rain to our advantage, actually, just to build a little more ice up.”

And a rainy Friday?

“We’ll work with the teams and really it’s a real-time decision,” Mayer said. “We’re going to try to get them on the ice, but if the rain is significant we’ll probably move them into an indoor facility.

“We don’t want to. We want to get them out there and at least get a feel for it, But we also want to preserve the ice for Saturday’s game. So we’ll make that decision minute by minute. Right now, it’s trending to be a 50/50 decision.”

‘We were all in’

Joining Mayer at Monday’s media availability was N.C. State athletic director Boo Corrigan, who said allowing an outdoor hockey game to be staged at Carter-Finley and hosted by the Hurricanes was an easy decision.

“When it first came up we were like, ‘Yes, let’s do this,’” Corrigan said. “It’s a chance to bring something new, different and exciting to the area. We were all in.

“It’s a celebration. Everybody wants to be on the biggest stage and from a hockey standpoint this is about as big a stage as you’re going to find. … And at the end of it you’re creating memories and that’s always a win.”

Mayer said the NHL will pay N.C. State a fee for the use of the stadium and to replace the football field after the event. Neither Mayer nor Corrigan said how much those fees would be.

“We’ve worked out a fair deal,” Mayer said.

Corrigan called it a “really good partnership.”

One concern is traffic on game day and Mayer’s advice, as expected, was for fans to arrive early. The parking lot gates open at 2 p.m., and Mayer said a free concert would be held about 4 p.m. outside the stadium.

The Canes and Caps will arrive at the stadium — “A big deal at these games,” Mayer said — about 5:15 p.m, 45 minutes before the stadium gates open.

“It’s going to be a party but there’s going to be a lot of people here,” Mayer said. “I think this is one of the fastest selling games we’ve ever had. That says a lot about Raleigh, about Carolina and the interest in the game.”