The most fun team in hockey.
The loudest house in the NHL.
A perennial contender for the Stanley Cup.
The last six seasons have been a heck of a ride for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Owner Tom Dundon purchased the franchise in late 2017, former Canes player Rod Brind'Amour was brought on as head coach just a handful of months later, the team made six straight playoff appearances (including two trips to the Eastern Conference Finals), annihilated the Washington Capitals at the 2023 Stadium Series game and finished the most recent season with an average attendance of 18,798 fans filling the seats at Lenovo Center (100.5% of the arena's capacity—the team opened up standing-room-only admissions!).
With the puck dropping on the team's 27th season in the Tar Heel State this month (Oct. 11 vs. Tampa Bay is opening night), this new era of Canes hockey has made one thing loud and clear: Raleigh is a hockey town.
Expectations are high again for the 2024-2025 season.
Coming off one of the best regular season finishes in team history, much of the Canes' core roster returns to the ice this year (forwards Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, plus defensemen Jacob Slavin and Brent Burns, are among the fan favorites and best-selling jerseys), and the team added lefty veteran defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere as a free agent signing, to boot.
Whether you're new to hockey, new to the Canes or just don't want to miss out on the hottest ticket in town, we have some frequently asked visitor questions answered here to help guide your game day!
How do I get tickets to Hurricanes games?
Individual game tickets for Carolina Hurricanes games can be purchased online through Ticketmaster, or at the box office at Lenovo Center (open Tues.-Thurs., 10am-4pm; also open on event days).
Ticket prices vary but start at approximately $30.
Note that Lenovo Center is a cashless venue, using a digital/mobile ticketing system.
Where is Lenovo Center? How do I get there?
Lenovo Center is located at 1400 Edwards Mill Rd. in Raleigh, approximately 6.5 miles from downtown Raleigh (15-20 minutes by car with normal traffic).
Most fans arrive at Lenovo Center by car. The cost to park at Lenovo Center is $40 (card only), or $27 if you purchase your parking in advance (add parking when completing your ticket purchase, or purchase separately later through ParkWhiz).
Rideshare services are available, with a dedicated drop-off and pick-up zone located at Gate C off Trinity Rd. (Carter-Finley Stadium Gate C is the named entrance location on Google Maps).
I also hear there's....tailgating? For hockey?
Yes—this is the South, after all—so good weather means a good time inside and outside the arena.
You'll find tents, tailgaters, beer, barbecue, corn hole, street hockey, music and more happening in the parking lots beginning three hours prior to puck drop. Tables, chairs, grills, coolers and more are all allowed, though you need to be mindful of leaving other parking spots clear.
If you're coming from out of town and can't bring your own setup, no worries, it doesn't take much to make new friends (though it does help if you bring your own alcohol).
Note that Lenovo Center doors open one hour before game time for weeknight games and 90 minutes before game time on Saturdays and Sundays.
Where can I get some Canes gear?
It's no secret that hockey fans love to rep their team with all kinds of swag: jerseys, hats, beanies, T-shirts, scarves, hoodies and more. The Canes' yearly uniform announcement is always front page news around here (they'll be wearing black sweaters for most home games this season).
The Eye is the official team store of the Carolina Hurricanes, and it's located at Lenovo Center (open Mon.-Fri., 10am-4pm, plus during games). For shopping official team gear online, visit CarolinaProShop.com.
Is there any good food sold during Canes games at Lenovo Center?
Barbecue and nachos and pizza and more (even specialty coffee)—yes! Much of the food at Lenovo Center is served up by Raleigh area restaurants—Alpaca Peruvian Chicken, The BBQ Lab, Gonza Tacos y Tequila, Buffalo Brothers Pizza & Wing Co., Happy + Hale and others.
You can read more about the food options for this season here.
Where can I find a good sports bar?
Some favorites in the Raleigh area:
A new restaurant, The Local—in the former Backyard Bistro space—will open on Oct. 17 as an elevated sports bar. It will be the closest restaurant to the arena, and will offer tailgate and parking packages. The Local will also have a food truck at Hurricanes home games, parked outside the South plaza of the arena.
Are there giveaway nights? Theme nights?
Yes and yes!
For giveaways:
- Oct. 11, all fans receive free Canes hat
- Oct. 15, 10,000 fans receive schedule magnet upon exit
- Jan. 12, first 6,500 fans receive Eric Staal bobblehead
And theme nights:
- Oct. 11, Opening Night
- Oct. 15, First Responders Night
- Oct. 31, Halloween Night
- Nov. 7, Veterans Day Celebration
- Nov. 17, Hockey Fights Cancer
- Nov. 25, Mental Health Awareness Night
- Dec. 10, North Carolina Night
- Dec. 13, Pride Night
- Jan. 12, Eric Staal Jersey Retirement Night
- Jan. 23, Star Wars Night
- Feb. 1, Black History Month Celebration
- Feb. 27, Whalers Night
- March 1, Women in Sports Celebration
- March 9, Kids Day
- March 11, Special Needs Night
- March 25, Grateful Dead Night
- March 30, Military Appreciation Day
- April 13, Fan Appreciation Night
What else is there to do near Lenovo Center? Around town?
It's easy to round out a 36-hour itinerary anchored by a Canes game.
Just down the road from Lenovo Center is the free-admission North Carolina Museum of Art (open Wed.-Sun.)—one of the premier visual art museums in the South—featuring two buildings filled with galleries, educational studios and special exhibitions (the museum's 164-acre outdoor park is the biggest of its kind in America, too). In downtown Raleigh, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is open Tues.-Sun. with free admission as well.
About one mile from the arena is Drive Shack, an interactive, three-story golf complex that delivers big entertainment (96 climate-controlled golf bays, a full-service restaurant, a rooftop bar, more than 300 televisions, an arcade area and more).
Opened early in 2023, a second location for Rush Hour Karting—this one 12-15 minutes away from Lenovo Center in Morrisville—features the state's first two-story race track with speeds of up to 40 mph (plus axe throwing, both racing and golf simulators and a full restaurant).
For outdoor exploring, nearby William B. Umstead State Park is a peaceful getaway with 13 miles of multi-use trails that follow a series of rolling hills (perfect for horseback riding, jogging and cycling) and 22 miles of dedicated hiking trails.
And of course there's no shortage of good eats and drinks, but for starters you can take a look at the Raleigh Beer Trail to see how you can earn rewards for visiting local breweries (Ancillary Fermentation, Funguys Brewing, Neuse River Brewing Company and Standard Beer and Food are among the standouts, and R&D Brewing is the maker of Storm Brew, the official beer of the Hurricanes that you'll find at Lenovo Center).
Can you recommend a few games to consider attending?
Absolutely. And frankly, it's hard to go wrong, so if you see something on the home schedule that works for you—go for it.
But if you're coming from out of town, why not make the most of it? The games we've selected below are paired with another event to make for back-to-back nights (or even double-header days) of fun at Lenovo Center. You can find a full schedule of events at Lenovo Center here.
- Nov. 3, Canes vs. Capitals; Nov. 4, North Carolina State University (NCSU) Men's Basketball vs. USC Upstate
- Nov. 8, Canes vs. Penguins; Nov. 9, NCSU vs. Presbyterian
- Nov. 16, Canes vs. Senators; Nov. 17, Canes vs. Blues; Nov. 18, NCSU vs. Colgate
- Nov. 25, Canes vs. Stars; Nov. 26, Rod Wave (music); Nov. 27, Canes vs. Rangers
- Nov. 29, Canes vs. Panthers, Nov. 30, Pentatonix (music)
- Dec. 3, Canes vs. Kraken; Dec. 4, NCSU vs. Texas; Dec. 5, Canes vs. Avalanche
- Dec. 9, Mariah Carey (music); Dec. 10, Canes vs. Sharks
- Dec. 17, Canes vs. Islanders; Dec. 18, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (music)
- Jan. 4, Canes vs. Wild; Jan. 5, Canes vs. Penguins
- Jan. 9, Canes vs. Maple Leafs; Jan. 10, Canes vs. Canucks
- Jan. 11, NCSU vs. UNC; Jan. 12, Canes vs. Ducks
- Jan. 17, Canes vs. Golden Knights; Jan. 18, NCSU vs. California
- Feb. 1, NCSU vs. Clemson, Canes vs. Kings**
- March 1, Canes vs. Oilers; March 2, Canes vs. Flames
- March 5, NCSU vs. Pittsburgh; March 6, Canes vs. Bruins
- March 27, Brooks & Dunn (music); March 28, Canes vs. Canadiens
- April 12, Canes vs. Rangers; April 13, Canes vs. Maple Leafs
** indicates two events in one day at Lenovo Center
