Keefer Madness

Carolina Hurricanes – Great For the Area

// April 30th, 2009 // Local (Raleigh Durham), Sports Stuff

Watching the Hurricanes in the first round of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs against the New Jersey Devils made me realize how good having the professional hockey team is for the area.

Granted, this area is blessed with an amazing sporting pool in that it’s got UNC, Duke and NC State in the Triangle for basketball and football, along with every other collegiate sporting event.

We also have the Durham Bulls, currently the Triple A ball club for the Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball club in the Bull city.

But the Carolina Hurricanes are a unique entity in the area. I never grew up watching hockey – it’s always been football, basketball and baseball in the Keefer household, but this area is devoid of professional sports. Sure, we’ve got the Panthers and Bobcats in Charlotte, but in the Triangle area, the Carolina Hurricanes are our sole professional sports club.

It’s cool in that everyone in the area is pretty much split across the three ACC teams, but the Hurricanes are more of a uniting force, being the only NHL club anywhere close. Games are great to attend, and with a lot of HD coverage, they’re great to watch from the comfort of your own home on Versus, Fox Sports South or WRAL.

Right now, with the Canes just hitting the second round of the playoffs against the Bruins, the Canes flags are flying everywhere, and fans have surfaced all over Raleigh-Durham (which also just happened as the Tar Heels advanced through, and eventually won the NCAA Tournament). But regardless, having a successful, exciting team like the Canes as a local team to pull for both in super-successful post-season and in the not-so hot years. Like being a Panthers fan, it’s also cool to have been following the team since the franchise starting (yeah I know Carolina used to be the Whalers) and following them year after year.

Oh, and best of luck to the Hurricanes against the Bruins. Go Canes!