Full House: Canes Fans Pack PNC Arena For Team's Regular Season Opener

RALEIGH, NC -18,680 was the officially announced attendance Thursday night inside PNC Arena, a sell-out crowd as the team started their 2021-22 schedule in the win column.
From the time the parking lots opened at 4 p.m. until moments after the team's players launched themselves into the glass to complete their first storm surge of the season, the feeling of a party-like atmosphere carried through the arena's complex.

Even Andrei Svechnikov made note not only once (Bally Sports second intermission interview), not twice (three stars interview), but three times (post-game media), that he loved coming to the rink, seeing the fans already tailgating and cooking barbecue. Not many teams in the NHL can say that one select cuisine is such an integral part of environment that one of the team's star players is shining light on it on numerous occasions throughout one of the biggest games of the entire year, but that's what makes our group so unique, isn't it?
One of those Caniacs with an array of delicious foods was Logan Burns, who
has Flex Pack seats
in Section 323. "We showed up around 4:30 with our barbecue, some hockey sticks and a ton of family and friends," he stated. "The atmosphere is so friendly, and the tailgates have to be top in the league. Nobody does it better."
With many fans heeding the advice of arriving early due to the extra traffic because of opening day for the North Carolina State Fair (more on that in a bit), you could see the fun being had from all over, even before any tickets were scanned. And when the doors did open, the concourses became filled, the fun continued and eventually it was showtime.
"I've been to so many openers and they always have a unique feel to them," Robert Leonard, a
Season Ticket Member
from Section 334 shared. "The player-by-player introduction is always my favorite part. The standing ovation for Rod Brind'Amour was not only deserved, but it] was absolutely the moment of the night."
The applause for the team's head coach was deafening - equal to, if not great than to that of the Canes six goals throughout the evening. In addition to those moments, there were plenty of other opportunities for the raucous crowd to come together in unison.
"Hearing all the familiar chants, from 'Cheaters Never Win' to the 'Let's Go Canes' reminded me that things really are getting back to normal," Katy Fontaine from Section 217 shared. "The fans are back and we're ready to prove we're the loudest house in the NHL."
Exhibit A indeed shows that PNC Arena would likely would have given any building around the NHL a run for its money Thursday.
Now, while the good times certainly well outweigh the mishaps of the evening, we'd be remiss in sharing that the organization is cognizant of the issues with parking and concessions throughout the evening. A learning lesson in both departments, discussions are already being had internally on how to improve both areas for the future.
What some may not be aware of is that if the Canes hadn't held their regular season opener Thursday night at PNC Arena, the team's first home contest may not have come for several weeks. When the NHL kicked off their regular season slate Tuesday, Harry Styles had already been booked for a sell out crowd of his own at the building. Wednesday nights in the NHL are nationally televised exclusive evenings, so unless the club is selected to play, which of course the Canes were not, that was not an option. The organization understood that there would be logistical headaches in holding game one the same night as the opening of the North Carolina State Fair, however, again, if they hadn't the next earliest option would have been October 25, thus meaning the team would've started away from Raleigh for two consecutive weeks and the first time to bring a hockey crowd out would have been on a Monday.
The first day of the State Fair is historically the lowest attended day by the tens of thousands of people, so when it boiled down to a bit of a parking hiccup for the final few thousand making their way to the rink or not playing at home for potentially another two weeks, the first option was victorious.
Again, by no means overshadowing the overall fun of the night, there was indeed some science behind the decisions that unfortunately caused trouble for some in one area.
As we move ahead to the team's first road game of the night tomorrow in Nashville, we ride the momentum of yesterday's energy and look ahead to seeing one another again on October 25 when Toronto comes to town.
**Worth A Click**
[Recap: Canes Win Season Opener Over Islanders
The Journey Begins: Canes Quest for the Cup