On February 18, 2023, nearly 57,000 fans gathered at NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium to watch the Carolina Hurricanes play their first outdoor game, defeating the Washington Capitals 4-1. The event was not just a hockey game but also a celebration of the team and its community.
Hurricanes President Doug Warf said, “That game helped display our beautiful blend of NHL hockey with our local, collegiate tailgating environment.” He noted that hosting the NHL’s annual Stadium Series game brought national attention to Raleigh and its hockey culture.
The team’s new road uniform draws inspiration from that memorable day in 2023 and the jersey worn during the Stadium Series. Warf explained, “Many of our fans continue to wear and request that [Stadium Series] jersey because it was artfully designed and it conjures up memories of that fantastic event for our team, fans and region.” He added, “We are excited that the new iteration of the road jersey can utilize key elements from that Stadium Series jersey as an homage to the event and as a tribute to the tailgating environment – the Carolina Culture – that we have built.”
The updated uniforms replace several previous design elements. The diagonal “CANES” wordmark across the front is gone, as are other features like the muted warning flag pattern on the waist and two-flag shoulder logo. Instead, the new uniforms feature a two-color crest with sleeve and hem striping from the original Stadium Series design. The same slanted font for names and numbers has also been carried over.
Warf commented on these changes: “The two-tone red and black logo is a fantastic tweak to our primary logo. We all liked this mark on the Stadium Series uniform set, but I think it truly jumps off the white jersey as the pop of contrast is beautifully eye-catching.”
A notable addition is a vintage version of mascot Stormy now appearing on the right shoulder of each jersey—a first for Hurricanes sweaters. Opposite this is a re-colored North Carolina state flag patch found on home jerseys. Warf said, “I also love ‘Strutting Stormy.’ I will be honest, before rejoining the team [in 2024], I was like most of our fans – constantly asking for this mark to be used more. It’s the perfect homage to our collegiate culture with a mark that is uniquely ours inside the NHL.”
The team will continue using red helmets, pants, and gloves with their white uniforms. According to Warf, after six seasons with their previous road set—a typical lifespan for Hurricanes jerseys—a refresh felt timely: “We all enjoyed our previous road uniform set, but felt this was a great season for a change,” he said. “This is the fourth major redesign to the road jersey in team history, with the two previous sets each lasting six years [as well].”
New away jerseys and related merchandise are now available for purchase.
