Today we got a look at what the Carolina Hurricanes were going to wear for the 2021 NHL Stadium Series. The outdoor game at Carter-Finley Stadium was postponed prior to the start of the season when the league knew it would not be possible to host fans.
The jersey apparently turned up on sale at store called Pro Sports in Raleigh, North Carolina. From there, photos were shared on Reddit, Twitter, and other soecial media sites.
There was also an ebay listing that included these photos.
The design features the big, bold numbers that are commonplace on Stadium Series sweaters. It also borrows elements from the Canes’ black third jersey—including the ghosted North Carolina flag shoulder patch and heathered stripes. The monochrome black and red crest was first introduced as a helmet decal on the road uniform in 2019.
Reddit user u/DolePears apparently bought one of the jersey seen on the rack at Pro Sports and shared some photos.
Now the big question is this: When, if ever, will we see this jersey on the ice?
The 2021 NHL Stadium Series was originally scheduled for February 20 of this year. The pandemic caused the NHL to postpone it. These outdoor event games only make sense for the league when they can collect on ticket sales. That wasn’t going to be possible.
So will the game simply be postponed to the same time next season? February 19, 2022, perhaps? That’s my assumption, but to my knowledge there’s been nothing official from the NHL to that effect. It’ll likely require extra coordination with Carter-Finley Stadium. Hopefully they can make it happen.
Until then, what are your thoughts on this design?
(By the way, thanks to Grant Friel for being the first to let me know about this jersey.)