We don't hear much about this rivalry in THIS sport

We've talked about this before. Hurricanes outdoor game, Saturday, February 18th. Two days later, Hurricanes alumni game, and then it's all about the Tar Heels and the Wolfpack outdoors.

So, this is a really cool thing. Obviously everybody knows that we have a stadium series game coming up on Saturday, February 18th with the Carolina Hurricanes. We'll be playing the hated Washington Capitals, but they got nothing on the real hatred, the real rivalry, because two days later, a few hours after the Hurricanes alumni plays an outdoor game for their alumni game, we get NC State versus UNC Club Hockey outdoors.

All right, I've got Jeff Folkman from UNC, Tim Healy from NC State. I'm going to start with the home team here. Carter-Finley Stadium is your, I guess, your home rink now. Tim, when did they, when did the Hurricanes, how did this whole thing happen? And you guys are going to get to play an outdoor game. It was part of the conversation a couple years ago when it first got launched and then obviously got back-burnered with COVID, and we've just always been in Shane Willis's ear, the director of youth hockey for the big Carolina Hurricanes saying we want this. And little did we know, and we really only found this out over the last couple of months, the university was helping push our cause to behind the scenes to make sure if that ice was going to be extended past the outdoor game, that we were going to be part of it. And obviously for crowd purposes, you want, you want your rival there on the ice with you. So obviously having UNC was a no-brainer, which means for the second time this year, I will guarantee you that NC State and UNC outdraws an Arizona Coyotes home game. Oh, I know you guys have already played at PNC Arena because I thought I heard the audio during a Hurricanes game.

This is a different, total inside baseball story, but I have heard the audio of some of your games. So Jeff, when you found out that this was a possibility, I mean, just give me your thoughts. Yeah. I mean, just the opportunity for these kids, it's once in a lifetime. So, you know, what a special thing.

I'm just going to have a big smile out there for the whole, for the whole event. You know, these kids, you know, being up from the North playing outside, you know, growing up, a lot of these kids haven't had that opportunity. They eliminate a lot of outdoor rinks and obviously just being at center stage at a huge stadium, it's just, you know, brings it to another layer.

So we couldn't be happier and more proud of, of, you know, you know, I'm thankful that we have this opportunity. All right, let me, let me start this one with Jeff Volkman, who is the head coach of UNC hockey and the hashtag not very creative, UNC hockey. It's not like ice pack for NC State. So explain, and I want you to jump in on this too, Tim. Explain for people who just, their whole framework, frame of reference for college sports is scholarship athletes, tons of stuff provided. Explain what your players have to do to be able to play at this level.

Yeah. I mean, they endure a lot, you know, the players recruit, you know, obviously have NCAA opportunities at the division three level. We're obviously looking for those kids that, you know, want to be a part of, of revision, you know, to grow our program and, and dominate at this level and at the national title and, and at some point dominate the division three in terms of talent. So, you know, our guys are very academically focused. They're choosing instead of in lieu of going to a division three program to come here for academic reasons, obviously, but, you know, they have to endure a lot. We don't get the resources that the varsity programs get. So, you know, the guys are really tied into the fundraising on and off the ice. So, you know, it's grueling just, you know, from the, you know, the physical aspect and the training and the resources there to on ice, how many times we get to be on ice during the week and so forth. So these guys really have to step up. It's a lot harder, but, you know, it really gets the guys to come to the rank.

Yeah. And I think to, you know, you talk about going through, I think Jeff and I let's make no bones about it. You know, Jeff and I have a lot of respect for each other and I like Jeff, but institutionally, you know, the rivalry is there and I look nothing and I look forward to going to all Dave Doran mode after the game with maybe a solo cup and a cigar out by the Wolf statues. But, you know, Jeff and I, the hardest thing we have to deal with is actually finding student athletes that can get into our institutions. You know, once I think both of us, once student athletes get into NC State or UNC, they come to our schools and have a great experience and a far better experience, frankly, than you would on the division three level.

I mean, we average over a thousand people a game. You're going to see our third Jersey drop tomorrow for the stadium series, which frankly, love the canes, but they miss the assignment on this one. You're going to see that we nailed the assignment. You know, again, our guys and Jeff's guys, they have a far better experience than I think if going and playing division three, once we can get them into the school. Right. So, UNC, Jeff, are you guys going to have a third Jersey or are you just wearing normal colors? No, indeed. We're already locked in.

We're going a complete whiteout. Oh, very nice. Oh, white pants. Yeah. Yes, sir.

Very, very nice. Full disclosure, because I've already, I've already talked about the the Hurricane Stadium Series jersey. It's the one that they were planning on wearing, what was it, two years ago, three, whatever it was. It was, they've had it. They didn't change it.

It's the same one. I kind of like it's clean. Look, could they have done something really super creative?

Maybe, but I think they've run out of creative ideas. We saw what their reverse retro jersey was this year. It would still be the white jersey in red, which frankly I think is better than even the black jersey. I tell you what, my wife for the reverse retro for years has been calling for the Whalers jersey with the Canes logo.

Now that, that would be an awesome reverse retro. So if you're hearing out there in Canes land, get it done for Mary Ellen Healy, please. All right. Well, duly, duly noted.

All right. Which one of your teams is better? We'll start with you, Tim. You know, look, after a winning streak that lasted basically the length of my firstborn child, UNC did get us twice in the fall. So, you know, I'll give them credit for the, for the belt for the fall, but I like how we're playing right now. We're in a five game win streak, including being a top, beating a top five team in the country out in St. Louis to come back off a break. So I really like how we're playing now. We had, you know, 14 guys that are first or second year players, and we took our growing pains in the first semester, including to Jeff's team. But I think they're acclimated and we're rolling right now. Jeff? Yeah. I mean, undoubtedly we're the best team in the ice this year. So sorry, Tim.

He likes to bring up the past and I don't blame him. They had a nice run, but the tides are turning a little bit. We, we have a nice five game win streak. They've got a really nice win streak going as well. So I think the fans are teed up to see a really good match up. You know, very objectively, it can go either way. You know, both very talented teams and, and you know we have, you know, from top to bottom, great kids and should be a good event for the fans.

All right. Let me ask Tim Healy, NC State head coach, by the way, hashtag ice pack, you already won the hashtag battle here, hands down. Does UNC get all the calls in hockey too?

I don't think so. I think, I think if you look at our score sheets after the game, the amount of penalties are, are pretty even when it's said and done. I think Jeff likes to work the refs a little bit more. He comes out, you know, maybe we play good cop, bad cop when we're out there against him. I think Jeff goes a little bit more bad cop on them. I go a little bit more good cop. You know, you got to play off your opponent and what they're doing. And you know, my predecessor, Mike Gazilla, who is great. He definitely went at them a little bit harder than I did.

But you know, I think they all balance out in the end. That was way too level headed in answer. Your fans are already going, no, no, UNC gets all the calls. I've just watched two basketball games where UNC went to the free throw line a billion times, and the other team went negative times.

Yeah, that was ridiculous. We had a change at PNC the day after the outdoor game. I am making no, I am making no editorial comment about that. I was just pointing it out that your fans, state's fans, believe that UNC gets all the calls. But UNC doesn't think that. They believe that the other teams get all the calls and that they get done. I mean that's the entitlement institutionally that UNC.

All right, so I don't know if you heard this yesterday, Jeff, but Armando Bacot mentioned that he had an astrology lab, which I found funny because I can't imagine that there's a lab for astrology. I'm guessing. I just find it funny. UNC basketball players are going to classes now.

That's progress. All right, I just, Jeff, you want to respond to that? You know, I mean, we're just going to win national championships. Settle it on the court, settle it on the ice. I could not be more excited for both of you guys to be able to stand behind the benches and watch your sides go at it.

It'll be on Monday 7 o'clock, February 20th, NC State hosting UNC Carter-Finley Stadium, an outdoor game in club hockey. Just tremendous. Have a good time. I just hope you guys both have a great time. I hope you both win.

I can't even, I have no idea what I just said. Thank you very much for doing this and we'll check in again because I'm going to want to talk to you again as we get closer. Thanks, Adam.

Appreciate it. We appreciate both of those guys. And again, Panthers have a new head coach. It is Frank Reich. We only have like a minute and a half here, so rather than play a soundbite from NFL Network, they do have to go about the business of hiring a defensive coordinator. It will not be Steve Wilks. And here's how I know it will not be Steve Wilks. Steve Wilks is part of the lawsuit, Brian Flores' lawsuit against the NFL for their really poor record in minority hiring.

So here's the law firm that is representing them. We are shocked and disturbed that after the incredible job Coach Wilks did as the interim coach, including bringing the team back into playoff contention and garnering the support of the players and fans, that he was passed over for the head coach position by David Tepper. There is a legitimate race problem in the NFL and we can assure you that we will have more to say in the coming days. Two things can be true. The NFL can have a terrible problem when it comes to hiring coaches of color, meaning black head coaches. And nobody intelligent will deny that. But that doesn't mean that that's what happened in this case. We don't know what happened in this case. We don't know that David Tepper didn't want to hire Steve Wilks because he's black. We know there are people out there like that, but we don't know that about David Tepper. Thank you, Victoria. See you tomorrow.