RALEIGH, NC. -Before the NHL made its way to North Carolina in 1997, the Raleigh IceCaps were the first professional team in the area.
Arriving in 1991, the franchise played in the then-named East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) for seven seasons, giving the city its first real taste of the sport, and helping pave the way for the eventual arrival of the Hurricanes.
IceCaps Reflect On Early Days of Hockey In Raleigh
"It was a unique experience, going to an area where hockey wasn't at the forefront. It was awesome. It was welcomed with open arms."
"It was a really unique opportunity. The only ice the market had ever seen was the ice in their drinks," Rick Barkovich, a player-turned-coach, reflected with a laugh when beginning to describe his time with the organization. "It was a blast."
"It was new to everybody when we got here," former IceCaps forward Jimmy Powers echoed. "There was very minimal hockey, if any, on the youth side. Coming in as a minor-pro team, with a bunch of kids that came from up north, out west, or Canada and moving to the south, we were educating fans on a regular basis."
After the league had seen successes in Greensboro, Norfolk, and Richmond, the owner of the Durham Bulls, Miles Wolff, and former General Manager, Pete Bock, were able to bring hockey to the Triangle.
For a variety of reasons, the Raleigh experiment became a hit quickly.
"When we were here the fan base just supported us throughout. It was like a college atmosphere," five-year IceCap and 40-goal scorer Lyle Wildgoose shared. "The only difference in the environment was that they served drinks and fans could get a little rowdy."
Rowdy and supportive, a recipe for success.
"It was the one event where you had Duke fans, NC State fans, and UNC fans all coming together to support one team," Wildgoose continued. "We noticed that immediately."
Even if everyone didn't exactly know what was going on, the unity of the community rallied around the team only grew after a surprising playoff berth in the team's first season.
"There were a lot of people that didn't understand the game then. There were a lot of transplants from up north that kept the hockey culture that they grew up with alive. They loved that part of it." Wildgoose further carried on. "Then you had the new fans that didn't know anything, they just knew that they loved the fights and the atmosphere. Over time, they turned into hockey fans. From that standpoint I really enjoyed it."
"Everyone wanted to know more about the game," Powers followed up with. "It was a unique experience, going to an area where hockey wasn't at the forefront. It was awesome. It was welcomed with open arms."
The popularity continued to grow in the early years for the IceCaps, thanks in part due to some players getting opportunities at higher levels, some relatively surprising on-ice success, and even a 1993-94 Riley Cup Finals appearance in just their third season.
Playing their home games out of Dorton Arena on the State Fairgrounds, the uniquely constructed building only added to the lore of Raleigh's early hockey history.
"Dorton Arena was electric, it was loud," Barkovich remarked of the team's home. "It was a great time. The acoustics in there were insane. The sound would just bounce off the windows and made it incredibly loud for 5,000 or so people."
It was neither the biggest, nor the most glamorous setting in the ECHL, but the tight environment was more than fine with those on the ice.
"It was raucous," Barkovich chuckled. "I can remember that it would be Tuesday, our next game would be on Friday and we would be sold out. There were capacity crowds and it was crazy. For a non-traditional hockey market, people in the area really caught on and caught the fever."
But the facility also came with its hurdles, which the guys look back and laugh about now.
"It wasn't built for hockey, so it was just adapted to be a workable environment, Wildgoose offered. "I'd never been in a building where the locker rooms were in the basement and you had to walk up a couple of flights of steps to get to the ice surface. That was interesting."
Getting to the ice was just step one of where things could go awry.
"We had challenges with ice conditions at times. We had the fog causing delays in games and things of that nature," Wildgoose continued. "The year we went to the championship, as you know, the further you get into playoffs, the closer you get to summer. One of the games had to be delayed because the sun was peaking in from one end of the arena and the goalie at the one end could not see anything. It had its challenges, but that's what made it our arena. That's what gave us our home-ice advantage. It had its uniqueness. It wasn't a typical, full-size arena."
In all, the challenges were a part of what made the experience a complete one for those that played and coached for the IceCaps.
Each thinks about their time now as some of the more enjoyable days, and a big reason as to why many have stayed living in the 919 area code long after their playing careers.
"There's a lot of guys from our teams that have stayed here in Raleigh because of how amazing the people are. The area is amazing, too," Powers reasoned. "The way they took to us getting us here was amazing."
"We all loved our time here. Jimmy, myself, all the guys, we all just made this our home. It was a great area to live, a great area to start a family, and so from that standpoint, I'm grateful for the opportunity that they gave me," Wildgoose supplemented. "It created a new home for me and I embraced that. I still love it here, my kids were born and raised here, and now they're off to college. My wife, who is a New Englander that I met in college, loves it here."
Several members from the IceCaps teams will be in attendance Tuesday night as the
Canes host North Carolina night at PNC Arena
.
When asked if any are surprised that the team has made it 25 years in the NHL, all said not in the least bit.
"You see the passion and the number of people moving here, and the number of people that have been here in the south that has taken to the sport. I think everyone appreciates it now more too for what it is," Powers responded. "I think the people of the area have been great in supporting the game since our days."
"It's about getting people to the game and when people see it, they want more of it," Wildgoose stated. "There's a lot of guys that have retired from the Canes that have stayed here as well. Anyone that comes here, stays here. When you get to know the community, you know that it's got a lot to offer."
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