Canes Prepare for Life in Toronto Bubble

The puck drops in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers in exactly a week.

If you ask the Carolina Hurricanes, they're ready for that to happen right now.

"The fellas are about done with practicing. We're ready to get into it," captain Jordan Staal said after a Saturday skate in Raleigh. "There's not a whole lot more we can do. I think we've done it all. It's about time to start playing some games. The guys are excited for it."

"We're ready for it," Jaccob Slavin said. "We know what we're going up against, and we know what we have to do to win."

The head coach can tell his team is itching to drop the puck, as well.

"We definitely covered everything that I think we wanted to cover," he said. "Would you like to have more time to dive into all of that? Sure, but like I said, we're at a point where mentally and physically the guys want to get going and play games."

Saturday morning's skate marked the Canes' final practice at PNC Arena before they depart for Toronto on Sunday evening.

That's where the Canes will stay until they're either eliminated from the postseason or advance to the Eastern Conference Final, in which case they will fly to Edmonton, the second hub city that will also serve as the host for the final two playoff rounds.

What will bubble life be like?

The Toronto bubble, or "Phase 4 Secure Zone" as it's known more officially, spans across two locations in the city. The Canes will stay at the Fairmont Royal York hotel, which affords walking access to Scotiabank Arena. Hotel X, which is housing the top four teams in the East, is located at Exhibition Place, where teams will also have access to BMO Field, home to Toronto FC of the MLS. Indoor and outdoor entertainment and activities - players lounges, patio decks, recreational space and more - will be available.

There are various restaurant options within the bubble, including those at either hotel, the arena and BMO Field. A concierge service will allow food and other items to be safely delivered from outside vendors, and a fencing system will surround each bubble location to ensure a secure, isolated environment.

The Canes are certain to stay entertained with cards, board games, video games and movies, but how do you pack for an indefinite amount of time?

"I have to start packing something," Teuvo Teravainen shrugged. "I don't know."

"I took everything home with me before the break, and I didn't really bring much back to Raleigh," Joel Edmundson said, adding that he Video: "It definitely will be different.". "I don't really know what to bring, to be honest."

And then there are the hockey games themselves, of course.

With no fans present, the games aim to be made-for-television events. The NHL has created a unique, TV-friendly set design, with various audio and visual cues, LED screens, monitors and stages around the ice.

In arena, the game presentation will resemble that of the designated home team's, from goal horns to goal songs to in-game music and more. For the Canes, that means the old Hartford horn (a sound clip of it, at least), Ric Flair's signature goal call and "Woo!" followed by Petey Pablo's "Raise Up." You might also hear some familiar music in between whistles and some popular crowd chants, as well.

Broadcast partners will utilize 32 cameras per game, 12 more than a normal broadcast, including a JitaCam, a camera on a large, 360-degree crane that can be positioned over the ice. These added visuals will create a more immersive viewing experience for the fans at home.

The league has also partnered with EA Sports to employ its library of in-game sounds to mimic crowd noise on broadcasts.

The absence of a raucous playoff atmosphere in the building is Video: "It definitely will be different.".

"In this situation, everybody is kind of a rookie to be quite honest with you. We don't know how it's going to affect you, going out there and not having that emotion," Brind'Amour said earlier in camp. "To me, what makes playoff hockey so great is the emotion of it, the energy in the buildings. It wows you at times."

In the end, the teams will adjust at the rink, and the fans will adjust at home. The Stanley Cup Playoffs will be the Stanley Cup Playoffs, no matter where it's played or how it's presented.

And the Canes are ready to get going.

"It's been a long, but also in some sort of way, a quick two weeks here," Slavin said. "Mentally, the guys are ready to get the games going. Physically, we've enjoyed these two weeks just to get back into game shape as best as we can."

"I thought it was a great couple of weeks," Staal said. "We touched on everything that's part of our game and identity. Roddy did a great job driving that home, and the boys responded well. Everyone was dialed in."

Sunday, the Canes move on to the next portion of the league's return to play plan. Bubble life is near, and goodbyes won't be easy, but what's waiting at the end of the journey makes this whole process worth it.

"It's not a fun feeling," Staal said about leaving his family in Raleigh. "It is a short period. It might not feel like it when you're going through it, being away from kids that long and the wife, but it's part of the gig right now, an unfortunate one. It's going to be tough. A lot of FaceTime. It will be nice to get home to them with a ring around the finger."