2021 NHL Stadium Series

The 2021 NHL Stadium Series was to be an outdoor regular season National Hockey League (NHL) game, part of the Stadium Series of games. The game was planned to feature the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the team to be announced at a later date at Carter–Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina, located across the street from the Hurricanes' home PNC Arena.

This game was originally set to occur on February 20, 2021, but was delayed by the Carolina Hurricanes amid the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure they can safely host with full attendance.

History
The NHL announced on February 15, 2020, that the 2021 Stadium Series would be hosted by the Carolina Hurricanes at Carter–Finley Stadium. After he took majority control of the team in 2018, Hurricanes owner Thomas Dundon made it a goal to have his club play in its first outdoor game. In 2019, Dundon invited NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to take a tour of Carter–Finley Stadium to see if it was feasible. Before the league could finalize the game, the Hurricanes had to seek additional funding from the local government and other organizations to help offset the cost of hosting the game.

The NHL delayed the start of the 2020–21 season to January 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic having forced the 2019–20 playoffs to conclude in late September. On October 22, 2020, the NHL postponed both the 2021 NHL Winter Classic and the 2021 All-Star Game due to "ongoing uncertainty" since both January events rely on fan participation. The decision to further postpone the Stadium Series game was made on December 23.