NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league is "looking at the possibility" of hosting an outdoor game at N.C. State's Carter-Finley Stadium and "taking it very seriously," according to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER. The Hurricanes "badly want to be a part of an outdoor game," and Bettman yesterday "took a walking tour of the stadium -- the dimensions of a hockey rink marked off by cones on the playing field." Bettman said his “best guess” is that it could be a part of the league’s Stadium Series in '20-21. Bettman added that he "liked Carter-Finley’s 'tight bowl' and good sight lines." During his visit, Bettman also "met with the Centennial Authority, the PNC Arena landlord, to be updated on the facility upgrades being considered." Meanwhile, Bettman "made it known he endorsed the Canes’ postgame celebrations." Bettman: "The players enjoy doing it, that’s important. And the fans enjoy seeing it. ... The way people, fan bases, connect with our game evolves over time. And what might work in an ‘Original Six’ city might not work in a city and market that’s newer to the game" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 2/27).
JUST LIKE OLD TIMES: In Raleigh, Luke DeCock writes there was a sense of Bettman's visit "being a bit of a victory tour." With the Hurricanes in playoff contention for the first time in years, attendance is rising and the "ownership transition Bettman helped facilitate," from Peter Karmanos to Tom Dundon, has "gone about as smoothly as could be hoped." Seeing the Hurricanes become relevant again is as "rewarding for Bettman as it is a tribute to his patience and faith in the mere idea of the Hurricanes" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 2/27).
