We’ve got Canes Fever!

With October comes many things, the beginning of fall, Halloween, and one of my personal favorites, hockey season!  Granted, along with millions of other fans, I have been watching preseason games since September, but there is something indescribable about watching your favorite team play their first game of the season that I love.  This year was no different; I was so excited to watch my beloved Carolina Hurricanes play the Minnesota Wild that I had trouble sleeping the night before.

Despite being a popular NHL franchise now, the ‘Canes haven’t always had the same following.  When the franchise first moved to North Carolina in 1996, their fan base was small.  Many people thought, “Hockey, in North Carolina?  Are you sure this is going to work?”  We aren’t exactly a state know for frigid temperatures and long winters typically associated with the ice sport.  This, coupled with the fact that the team played its first two seasons in Greensboro, a city somewhat out of the way for a sport that doesn’t have many followers and a team that doesn’t have many fans, proved to be a stumbling block.  Luckily, over the next few years the team’s success steadily increased, thanks in part to player improvement, relocating to Raleigh, and the efforts to spread the sport of hockey to North Carolina.

Although winning the Stanley Cup for the 2005-2006 season helped to bolster the team’s fan base, the Hurricanes would not be where they are today without the efforts of the promotions and fan development department.  The department continually strives to promote and bring the sport of hockey to everybody.  They accomplish this through initiatives such as the organization, Canes Youth and Amateur Hockey (CYAH), an effort to get involved with youth hockey at all skill levels.  They also take advantage of in-game promotions including fun activities on and off the ice.  The team mascot, Stormy makes special visits to local schools and is available for parties and functions.  During games, the Storm Squad pumps up the crowd with cheers and entertainment.  The Storm Squad is also available for charity events and corporate outings.  Another unique promotional activity that the team uses is the Canes Cool Bar.  This is when the Carolina Ale House hosts a live broadcast during the game.  For fans who want to learn more about their favorite players, they can enroll in Hurricanes U, which provides students with a t-shirt, handbook, tickets to a Hurricanes game, and a graduation certificate.  Before every home game, one lucky fan gets to sound the Hurricanes Warning Siren, which signals the start of the game.  All of these promotional activities create a community for fans to come together and celebrate being Caniacs.

Sarah McIntosh, Sean O’Connell, Eliza Wadson, Jocelyn Walson