Rink setup begins for Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals Stadium Series game
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Excitement is growing for the NHL Stadium Series game in Raleigh.
The Carolina Hurricanes are taking on the Washington Capitals in just under two weeks.
A 53-foot trailer arrived Monday morning with state-of-the-art ice-making and ice-monitoring equipment used to create an NHL caliber sheet of ice. Construction on the rink has now started.
It's considered the largest mobile refrigeration unit in the world.
NHL Senior Director Derek King says this is the beginning of a long process that will mostly take place at night. Tuesday he says begins the piping off the refrigeration truck and believes by Friday they will be on schedule to start making ice.
He says the one thing they have to keep an eye out for is the weather.
"A warm rain makes things a little tougher. We've got certain capacities on the truck that we have so we will watch the weather. We've had rain in other climates. We've gotten accustomed to adapt with what we see. So if we do get any rain we will freeze what we can and if we can't freeze it we will squeegee it off," he said.
Don't forget to mark your calendar for Friday, February 17 for the Carolina Hurricanes Fan Fest in downtown Raleigh.
The free event will run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., rain or shine. ABC11 is a proud sponsor of the event.
NHL Stadium Series Game expected to have big economic impact on Raleigh
Then on February 18, it's game time at Carter-Finley Stadium. Puck drops at 8 p.m. You can watch the game on ABC11 and on ESPN+.
