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After NHL teams get in the bubble in Toronto (Eastern Conference hub city) and Edmonton (Western Conference hub city) on July 26 for the final week of training camp, each team will get an exhibition game sometime from July 28-30 before the Stanley Cup Qualifiers and round-robin tournaments start. According to head coach Todd Reirden, the Washington Capitals’ exhibition game with be against the Carolina Hurricanes.
A date or time has not been released. The NHL will likely release the exhibition game schedule within the next few days.
Exhibtion games looking like they’ll have a regional bent. Hearing — East: MON/TOR, FLA/TB, NYR/NYI, PIT/PHI, WASH/CAR & CLB/BOS. West: CAL/EDM, VAN/WIN, CHI/STL, NASH/DAL, ARIZ/LV & MIN/COL.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 14, 2020
The two teams met in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which the Hurricanes won in double overtime of Game 7. They have also played twice in every preseason since 2014. The two teams can play in the first round again depending on where the Capitals rank in the Eastern Conference after the round-robin tournament or later in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs if they reseed accordingly.
After dropping the first two games against the Hurricanes this season, the Capitals won the last two to earn a split of the season series (2-1-1).
The Hurricanes will open their best-of-five Stanley Cup Qualifying round series against the New York Rangers on August 1 while the Capitals will open their round-robin tournament against the Tampa Bay Lightning on August 3. Times for the round-robin and qualifying round tournaments have yet to be released.
By Harrison Brown
