Canes Begin New Season With Record-Setting Fan Base

"We truly believe that we have one of the best values in pro sports based on performance on the ice and affordability in attending a game."

By Walt Ruff

@WaltRuff Hurricanes.com

October 12, 2023

RALEIGH, NC. - The Carolina Hurricanes have high expectations and big shoes to fill this season.

That's both a good thing and a reflection of how far the organization has come.

On the ice, the team has reached the playoffs in five consecutive seasons and has realistic aspirations of bringing a second Stanley Cup to Raleigh.

Off the ice, the organization finished second in the NHL in average attendance last year, bringing in an average of 19,526. Featuring the largest season ticket member base in team history, the support continues to grow as the investment toward a winning product continues to be made.

"What I’ve found is if we do our part, the fans come. And that’s a fair deal, right? No one wants to watch people lose," Canes owner Tom Dundon told WRAL in an interview last week.

Following a trip to the Eastern Conference Final in the spring, and a summer of improvement adding the likes of Michael Bunting, Tony DeAngelo, and Dmitry Orlov, the demand to see the team live is higher than ever. With a 15% increase in sales from this time last year - which was also a record at the time - the team is close to capping full-season memberships for the first time in its history, with fewer than 40 remaining at the moment.

The best fans in hockey keep getting better 👏 pic.twitter.com/73i0cmHBZz
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 12, 2023

"Over the past five seasons, the excitement for this team and the demand for tickets have grown significantly. Each year, we have set new franchise records with the growth of our STM base, overall average attendance, and the number of sold-out games," Canes Vice President of Ticket Sales Sara Daniel said. "Our fans take pride in the success of the team, as well as how much hockey and the fan base have grown. They love that the rest of the league is taking notice and we want to continue that upward trajectory just as much as they do."

But perhaps it's not just the on-ice product that keeps fans coming, there is an element of affordability that deserves recognition as well.

A recent study by Statista ranked the Canes eighth out of 32 in "Fan Cost Index (FCI)", a metric comprising the prices of four average-price tickets, two small draft beers, four small soft drinks, four regular-size hot dogs, parking for one hour, two game programs and two least-expensive, adult-size adjustable caps.

Of the seven franchises with a better rating than Carolina, just one was a playoff team.

Want to look at the bigger picture?

Over the course of the previous five seasons, the Canes have amassed 489 points in the NHL's standings. Taking their $377.70 per night FCI rating from the above and equating it to $0.77 per standings point, the position puts Carolina with the third-best rating.

"We truly believe that we have one of the best values in pro sports based on performance on the ice and affordability in attending a game," Canes Chief Marketing Officer Mike Forman offered. "We feel like we have a special bond with our fan base here and will always strive to deliver a top-tier experience at an affordable price for pro sports standards. "

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Add in the new 20-year lease extension that was agreed to between the team and the Centennial Authority this summer, and it all appears to be trending in the right direction for the Canes.

Including 100,000 square feet of retail/dining space, 150,000 square feet of office space, 200 multi-family residential units, a 150-room hotel, and a 3,000-5,000 capacity indoor music venue in the new deal, both Dundon and President & General Manager Don Waddell have spoken about making the area a desirable location.

"It's a lot of customer-facing things that we're going to do that will make our experience better. The development of the property is going to make it a destination place," Waddell said of the project. "It's not just going to be a place to come watch hockey, basketball, or a concert. We want it to be a place where when people say, 'I'm going out to dinner tonight', this is where they'll go."

The Canes drew a capacity of 18,893 on Wednesday night to begin their 2023-24 campaign.