Durham Bulls bat dog Ripken performs ceremonial puck drop before Hurricanes game

The Carolina Hurricanes kicked off their North Carolina Night with a round of a-paws.

Ripken, the Durham Bulls bat dog, performed the ceremonial puck drop before the Hurricanes game against the San Jose Sharks at the Lenovo Center.

Sporting a Hurricanes jersey and a blinged out “R” chain, the adorable pup held the puck in his mouth and then dropped it between Carolina captain Jordan Staal and Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro.

Ripken then received a pet from both players.

The Hurricanes celebrated their home state during the game. The team sported jerseys from the various sports teams across the state while arriving at the arena.

All the North Carolina team mascots also came to hang out with Hurricanes mascot Stormy.

The woof was certainly raised in Raleigh.