"It's nerve-wracking, but it's exciting," Waddell said Wednesday. "We're going to expose a lot of people to the game of hockey in the region who have never been exposed to it."
The outdoor game will take place at the football home for North Carolina State University. A stage deck for the arena is in place, and a rink will emerge in the coming days.
As Waddell surveyed the field, he acknowledged there was a time when an outdoor game seemed a long way off in North Carolina's capital city. The Hurricanes endured a nine-year stretch (2009-18) without qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But after four straight trips to the postseason and a potential fifth on the horizon, enthusiasm is building.
Carolina (34-9-8) has won seven in a row and sits atop the Metropolitan Division, six points ahead of the New Jersey Devils.
"If you talked to a lot of people in the League, they were a little concerned that things hadn't gone that well for us on the ice, and the attendance was down," Waddell said. "But if you asked anybody after tickets went on sale, everybody was pleased."
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It will be the NHL's 37th regular-season outdoor game, and first in North Carolina. The Hurricanes have a strong footprint in the market, but the Stadium Series is primed to provide exposure to a greater audience, given the spectacle created by outdoor games staged over the past 15 years.
"We're expecting a lot of people who have never been here for a hockey game and have never been to this area to come for this," Waddell said. "We're giving ourselves an opportunity to showcase what we're all about with the Hurricanes.
"You always want to acquire new fans. It doesn't mean they're going to come to 41 hockey games, but if they come to three hockey games a year, it's three more than they came to before. I think introducing the game in this environment is going to be a huge success for us moving forward."
The 14-person crew will begin erecting the rink and dasher boards Thursday and Friday, followed by the flooding of the rink, which takes about seven days. The ice surface will be ready for each team to hold practice next Friday.
After the Hurricanes soak in the different surroundings, the attention will turn to defeating one of their biggest rivals. The Capitals (27-20-6) are fourth in the Metropolitan and hold the first wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
"Washington is in our division, it's an important game in the standings," Waddell said. "That's what makes it even better. It's an outdoor game, but it's worth two points.
"When our fans walk in this building, whether they are a Capitals fan or a Hurricanes fan, we [hope] their experience is one they won't forget."
