Carolina Hurricanes to Face The Washington Capitals in Exhibition Game

The Carolina Hurricanes will face off against a rival in two weeks

The Carolina Hurricanes will get the chance to preview a possible first-round match-up against the Washington Capitals in an exhibition game in exactly two weeks.

July 29th. 4 PM. Mark your Calenders and set your clocks folks. Because the Carolina Hurricanes will be playing hockey, as in actual hockey, against an actual opponent. The four and a half month wait will be over. The TV will feature new and amazing ways for us to be annoyed at commentators.

On the other end of the ice? The Washington Capitals. Our truest rivals (sorry Montreal) who are looking for a preview of a possible rematch seeking revenge for ousting them of their bid for a repeat championship last year.

Let’s take a moment to talk about the rest of this three-day mini “pre-season” which features an incredible selection of 12 games. Because the Carolina Hurricanes are not the only team taking on a rival with some serious history.

From day one and game one the heat is on. The Penguins and the Flyers will always be a classic match-up filled with colorful language if my memory of last year’s Stadium Series game is any good. That alone will be plenty of reasons to tune in on Tuesday. But it gets better!

The Toronto and Montreal match-up is an Original Six classic. Edmonton and Calgary going right back at it for the battle of Alberta will always be interesting. The Blues and Blackhawks are also bitter rivals. The Predators and Stars are playing a somewhat interesting rematch of the Winter Classic as well.

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A couple of interstate match-ups as well. We already mentioned Pittsburgh and Philidelphia, but you also have the two New York and Florida Teams also matching up. Remember, these games are all played in one of two hub cities, so these aren’t matched-up for logistical reasons. So what are the reals reason behind these incredulous match-ups?

Ratings.

The NHL doesn’t have an excellent history of having the best rating nor the best attendance during the preseason and has done everything it can to try and raise those numbers. From NHL roster player number requirements to interesting Jersey mixes like the Hurricanes wearing Red on the road against the Blue wearing Lightning last year.

But in the end, many of these games don’t get picked up by broadcasts, and even more, are completely ignored. Why watch games that have no bearing on the regular season or the playoffs?

The same applies to these games. With so much money missed out during the hiatus, the league needs to ensure that there will be eyeballs on the TV when the games are on. That means incredible match-ups with recent history such as the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals who famously took a seven-game series into double overtime for an epic win.

Question for CC Readers: Do you like the concept of facing the Capitals?