Hurricane Helene has left parts of the southeastern United States devastated, but NHL teams in that area and the League are answering the call to help impacted communities.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes and Nashville Predators are all donating money to the millions of people impacted by the storm that has left at least 200 people dead and more missing.
Carolina's annual preseason community game traditionally raises money for their foundation to give back to children's charities in the area.
But with Helene causing devastation across portions of North Carolina over the past week, the money raised at this year's game will go toward hurricane relief efforts.
The Hurricanes had 18,700 in attendance and raised more than $300,000 in their 6-4 loss to the Predators at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Wednesday, Hurricanes president Doug Warf said Thursday.
Warf said the Hurricanes decided on Sunday that all ticket revenue from this year's game would benefit those impacted by Helene.
"We announced it Sunday at 8 p.m., which is not really when you break great news, but we wanted to get out it out as soon as we could," he said. "We went from 11,000 seats sold to 18,000 seats sold by noon on Wednesday."
It was the first of what Warf said Carolina will do to help those in need in the wake of the hurricane.
"What we've learned from being here so long is a lot of times, there's kind of an immediate relief needed and then as things open two months from now, four months from now, once they rebuild schools, roads, more relief is needed," Warf said. "So, our foundation is committed to being there along the way and we're going to continue fundraising efforts and donations from our team and owner throughout the year."
The Lightning foundation will be donating $2 million toward relief efforts and those impacted by the storm.
"This is a tragic situation for many families and communities here in Tampa Bay," Lightning owner and chairman Jeff Vinik said. "During challenging times like these, the most important thing we can do as an organization is to support one another and do our part to aid in the local relief efforts. We are proud to be able to support our community in this way and hope this donation will help families recover and rebuild."
The Predators Foundation is also holding a fundraiser for Helene relief, matching up to $25,000.
The NHL is contributing to the American Red Cross to assist in their critical relief efforts. These funds will go toward providing emergency shelter, food, and vital supplies to those affected, helping them to begin rebuilding their lives in the face of such hardship.
"What happened in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene was absolutely devastating, particularly in North Carolina," Rob Wooley, NHL vice president of legislative affairs and executive director of the NHL Foundation, said Thursday. "With the strong presence of the Carolina Hurricanes and our hockey family in that particular area, it was obviously something Commissioner Gary Bettman felt strongly about, as we've got to do something."
The NHL American Red Cross Microsite was also launched on Thursday to provide more information and ways to make a donation.
"We've had a longstanding relationship with the American Red Cross and whenever tragedy strikes, whether it's COVID, the war in Ukraine, any sort of natural disaster, we immediately call our friends at the American Red Cross and they're great about providing a platform for fans and our teams and players, whoever wants to get involved, to support relief efforts. So that's what we did in this instance," Wooley said.
If anyone needs assistance, the Red Cross may be able to help. Visit redcross.org/helene to find shelter locations or request support with finding a loved one.
