"People are going to come early and tailgate," NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer said Monday at Carter-Finley Stadium, home to the North Carolina State University football team. "We've seen the culture here, and we fully expect that will be the culture for this game."
The outdoor game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, SN360, TVAS, ESPN+, SN NOW) will be played in front of a sold-out crowd of nearly 57,000 fans, including close to 1,000 N.C. State students who will view the game from field level in bleacher seating on the south side of the field.
The N.C. State marching band, the Power Sound of the South, will entertain the fans throughout the game. The blending of experiences is part of the appeal for the university.
"We're proud of who we are, and this is a great opportunity for us to share this great university with people who otherwise wouldn't have much interaction," N.C. State director of athletics Boo Corrigan said. "Their first experience could be coming to this game and seeing what this stadium is, seeing what this environment is and seeing everything that we are."
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In addition to the students and marching band, the game presentation will include appearances by N.C. State legends.
"For us, it's really important to celebrate not only the Hurricanes and hockey in this region, but to celebrate N.C. State," Mayer said. "From the things we're going to incorporate from a creative standpoint, we're really going all in on N.C. State as well, whether it's alumni, whether it's the marching band or other elements you might see in a football game. That's part of why it's special wherever we go."
The weather has not been an issue for 14-person ice crew since the ice truck arrived here on Feb. 6. Even an all-day rain on Sunday helped, thanks to temperatures in the 40s.
"A full day of rain actually helps us," Mayer said. "We're trying to build a level of ice, and we used the rain to our advantage. It worked out well. Game day temperatures look great, actually perfect."