Saturday, May 25, 2002
Hockey a hot ticket in Carolina
By DAVID DROSCHAK
AP Sports Writer
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina sports fans have had a rough six months.
The Carolina Panthers went 1-15, the North Carolina basketball team lost 20 games for the first time in school history and the Charlotte Hornets packed up and moved to New Orleans.
Even Final Four favorite Duke stumbled, losing to Indiana in the South Regional semifinals.
So maybe it's only natural the Carolina Hurricanes have turned many local fans into puckheads with an unprecedented Stanley Cup playoff run.
The Hurricanes lead the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals and can advance to the Cup finals with a victory Saturday night.
“When you get to this point, where you create this kind of excitement and interest with the team's success, more people want to be a part of that,” general manager Jim Rutherford said. “You find that everywhere, not just here. It just goes with the territory.”
The Hornets, now out of the playoffs, have watched with envy as the popularity of the Hurricanes grows in a state known for its rabid basketball and auto racing fans.
“The Carolina Hurricanes, they are fresh, they are new, they are drawing well,” Hornets forward P.J. Brown said. “They have created a deep bond with the community.”
That wasn't always the case.
The team got off to a rocky start with its sudden move here from Hartford, Conn., in 1997. There was no Raleigh arena to play in and the club received a lukewarm reception from fans, most of whom grew up following Atlantic Coast Conference basketball or NASCAR.
“We came here by falling out of the sky,” Rutherford said.
The new nickname for the old Hartford Whalers angered some people who had seen their share of devastating hurricanes in the area.
The players and fans spent two seasons commuting 90 minutes to “home” games at the Greensboro Coliseum, which was usually less than half full.
Errors were made on and off the ice. Rutherford chuckles now about using racing great Richard Petty to help promote hockey.
“The biggest mistake was probably finding out Richard Petty wasn't going to score any goals for us,” he said.
The team's attendance and popularity has grown steadily since it moved into the 18,730-seat Entertainment and Sports Arena three seasons ago. In fact, attendance was up 16 percent this season to more than 15,500 a game.
But few envisioned the madness that has taken place during Carolina's surprising run into the Eastern Conference finals against Toronto.
In Game 2 against the Maple Leafs, the Hurricanes sold close to 200 standing-room-only tickets for $110 each. Scalpers demanded — and got — as much as $1,000 for some seats.
Doug and Mary Stager have been to every playoff game so far. Mary's the one with the big red “G” on the front of her shirt and Doug wears the “O.” They are part of a group of seven friends who arrive three hours before games for tailgate parties, then spell out “GO CANES” in red letters in the stands.
The couple got hooked on the Hurricanes when Mary Stager's boss gave her a pair of tickets to see the Detroit Red Wings in Greensboro.
“I was always hoping it would take off, but I never dreamed it would take off like this,” she said. “Right now, hockey is the thing.”
The passion for the team can be seen on hundreds of cars around the Raleigh area, from bumper stickers to license plates to flags that clip onto window frames.
“You are used to seeing all the UNC and N.C. State flags,” defenseman Glen Wesley said. “This is truly awesome. The fan support has been incredible for us no matter where we've been. People have recognized us.”
Team captain Ron Francis even got a thumbs up the other day in, of all places, church.
“You don't get that too often,” Francis said. “And it wasn't the priest.”
Francis, who used to play for the Pittsburgh Penguins, wasn't noticed much when he arrived four seasons ago as a $20 million free-agent. That has changed drastically in the last month.
“I got recognized a lot my first year here, but it was predominantly people who had come from Pittsburgh,” Francis said. “Now, there isn't a day that goes by that somebody doesn't say something.”
The team has been greeted by screaming fans at the airport after returning from road trips. After beating the Montreal Canadiens in the conference semifinals, close to 1,000 people showed up for a late-night celebration.
“We're landing at 2 o'clock in the morning and people were 50 deep,” defenseman Aaron Ward said. “I mean, come on, that's pretty incredible.”
Coach Paul Maurice and Rutherford believe there is more to the frenzied support than winning.
“The thing I enjoy most about it is how genuinely happy the people are for us,” Maurice said. “There has been a connection between this team and its fans. They both feel a part of what's going on. It's kind of like we're on the same ride together.”
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Hockey a hot ticket in Carolina
