“Puck!” shouted his buddy Eli Self.
A puck had gone over the glass in the North End Zone as the Carolina Hurricanes played the Washington Capitals in the Navy Federal Credit Union’s 2023 NHL Stadium Series.
It landed near the back wall. Whoever gets it first takes it home.
Caddell, an 18-year-old freshman at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, thinks he’s a giant caniac. He was wearing a Stadium Series hat and Stadium Series hoodie, and he had a Stadium Series blanket draped around his neck.
He had to have that puck, so he dove frantically like he was an NHL goalie and the puck was loose in the crease.
He grabbed it inches before the others.
“A few minutes later someone comes up to him and says, ‘How much are you willing to take for that puck?’” said Self, an 18-year-old freshman at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill who carries one red Jacob Slavin Hurricanes jersey. “And he says, ‘It’s priceless.’”
Caddell said he would give the puck to his 11-year-old brother, Caleb.
“I’m so happy,” said Caddell. “I am so blessed that the Carolina Hurricanes hosted this. I just want to salute Raleigh and the hockey culture that is here.”
Yes, priceless.
This was the 37th outdoor game hosted by the NHL since 2003. But it was the first to involve the Hurricanes and the first in North Carolina, something to remember, cherish and share for so many reasons.
The tailgate parties. The Fanfest. North Carolina State University mascot, cheerleader and marching band. Ripken the Bat Dog. Country artist Jake Owen and alternative rock group lovelytheband. The sell-out crowd of 56,961, the largest in Hurricane history.
And of course Carolina’s 4-1 win.
It showed how much the Hurricanes have grown hockey here, and it should help them grow it even more.
“I mean, I’m just blown away by this vibe,” Self said. “It’s a really great embodiment of the overall fan base and hockey culture at Raleigh. It’s loud, crazy. Rowdy, I think, would be the right word.”
“Brawler,” said Caddell. “Rowdy is a good word, yes.”
“But just controlling the chaos in the best way,” Self said. “In the absolute best way.”
* * * * *
It felt like Saturday football at Carter-Finley Stadium, normally home to the NC State Wolfpack. The weather was beautiful: sunny and in the low 50’s Fahrenheit.
Fans began queuing at the tailgate hours before parking lots opened at 2:00 p.m. ET. Driving down Trinity Road towards the stadium at around 3:30pm ET, one couldn’t miss a homemade sign hanging on the balcony of a dormitory.
“LET’S GO CANES” was written in black and red on a white background.
Abby Krough, Julia Oakley and Kerry Quinn – each a 20-year-old junior at NC State – make a new banner before every football game. This time they made one for a hockey game.
Krough grew up a Hurricanes fan in Wake Forest, North Carolina and often goes to games. Her father, Chad Krough, became a hockey fan after the Hartford Whalers moved to North Carolina and changed their name in 1997.
“It’s like the Super Bowl,” he said while hanging out with his fiancé, Andrea O’Rourke, on the front lawn. “As soon as I heard it was coming to Raleigh, I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m going to do anything to get tickets.’”
There were tailgate parties all over the stadium all afternoon. You could smell the grills, listen to the music, and watch people play football, cornhole, and street hockey.
Matt Hill and Erik Weekman threw a football, Hill in a Hurricanes jersey, Weekman in a Carolina Panthers jersey with a Hurricanes shirt underneath. The 28-year-old graduated from NC State in 2016.
“You get the best of both worlds,” Weekman said. “Tailing around here in general… I mean, we’re the best at it.”
Nick Larson, a 27-year-old from Raleigh, grew up watching the Hurricanes with his father, Mark. They drove after before the Hurricanes played the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals here on June 19, 2006 when he was so small he had to stand on a seat to see his father’s arm around him . After hoisting the trophy, the Hurricanes walked back and continued tailgating.
They wouldn’t miss it.
“Coming from a small market, we feel like we deserve a chance to step up and show everyone what we’re about,” Larson said. “And that’s it.”
People packed the Truly Hard Seltzer PreGame, a fan festival in the parking lot, and lined barricades to see the teams arrive.
At approximately 5:15 p.m. ET, the NC State cheerleaders and marching band led the Hurricanes from PNC Arena, their usual home, to the stadium. The players dressed in matching vintage golf outfits in a nod to North Carolina’s golfing heritage.
Soon after, the Capitals pulled up in yellow school buses, carrying soccer balls and wearing matching hats, sunglasses and jackets.
The players smiled almost too much.
“My cheeks are already hurting,” said Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook.
* * * * *
The Hurricanes couldn’t have asked for a better night. It was dry and 44 degrees Fahrenheit for the face-off around 8 p.m. ET, cool enough to play hockey but comfortable enough to sit outside in a hoodie and hockey jersey.
“The growth of the game has certainly been amazing in this market,” said Capitals coach Peter Laviolette, who coached the Hurricanes when they won the 2006 cup. “To have an event like this in such an environment – the weather is perfect out there – seems perfect.”
When the Hurricanes took the field, the NC state marching band known as the Power Sound of the South played the Scorpions classic “Rock You Like A Hurricane.”
Jets flew by at the end of the national anthem. Ripken The Bat Dog, famous for his appearances on NC State football and Durham Bulls minor league baseball games, dropped the puck.
Children from schools around the triangle stood in the student area on the field. It was hard to watch the game, but it didn’t matter. They got the best view of Owen on the first break and the beautiful band on the second, and they stood behind Chris Chelios, Mark Messier and PK Subban on the ESPN set, holding signs like they did at “College GameDay.”
Noah Williams, a 21-year-old NC State junior, said he’s been to many Hurricanes and NC State football games, but he’s never seen anything like a Hurricanes game at NC State football stadium.
“This is amazing,” Williams said. “This is on another level.”
Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said he didn’t know how it could have gone much better.
“It blew me away,” he said. “… It’s something special. I’ve been saying that for a long time. It’s a special community and relationship between the players and the people who support this team and hopefully other people saw that tonight.”
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