Carolina Hurricanes fans bring college football vibe to NHL playoffs - ESPN

RALEIGH, N.C. — The only ice in the parking lot is crushed. It is also packed in coolers because out here it is 80 degrees.

OK, not all of it is packed in coolers. A large helping of it is packed into the cargo bed of a Ford F-150. More accurately, into an inflatable kids swimming pool in the back of a Ford F-150. And packed into the ice that is packed into the pool that is packed into the back of the truck is a rather rotund man in a Carolina Hurricanes swimsuit and tank top who is also packing down a six-pack of a local Belgian-style ale called Hell Yes Ma'am.

«This is the pregame uniform because it's hot out here,» explains the gentleman, who asks to be identified as Tom Kazansky. You know, the Ice Man. «My game uniform is waiting in the truck. Jeans and a Canes jersey, because it's cold inside. Way colder than out here.»

That's right, Ice… Man. Because there's a giant ice rink where a giant Stanley Cup playoffs game is about to be played inside.

«Exactly,» Kazansky says. «Go Canes, motherf‐‐‐ers.»

Welcome to big league hockey's wackiest, wildest, most Southern-styled tailgating scene. Truthfully, it's the NHL's only real tailgating scene. A gathering of thousands beneath the tall pines of the Triangle region, set to full blast Luke Combs and Ben Folds and enveloped in the sweet smell of hickory char.

The gang will get together again Thursday night as the Hurricanes host the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

While most NHL arenas are confined in the cramped spaces of big-city downtowns, the Lenovo Center sits in the wide-open spaces located 6 miles west of Raleigh's center. The arena is adjacent to Carter-Finley Stadium, football home of the NC State Wolfpack, and both share acreage with