The Carolina Hurricanes’ journey began in 1971 as the New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association. In 1979, they transitioned to the NHL as the Hartford Whalers. The biggest change for the franchise occurred in 1997 when they relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina, becoming the Carolina Hurricanes we know today.
Stanley Cup
Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
The 2005-2006 season was unforgettable for the Carolina Hurricanes as they won the Stanley Cup. Under the leadership of captain Rod Brind’Amour, the team beat the Edmonton Oilers in a thrilling seven-game series. Brind’Amour, now the head coach, has impressively led the Hurricanes to the playoffs every season since 2018.
Colors
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Upon moving from Hartford, the Hurricanes swapped their iconic green for new colors. Settling in the PNC Arena, home to NC State Wolfpack, the team adopted red, white, and black, aligning with the local spirit and giving the franchise a fresh identity.
Building The Team
Defenseman Nikos Tselios #48 (Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images/NHLI)
In 1997, the Hurricanes made their first NHL draft pick, selecting Greek player Nikos Tselios 22nd overall. He wrapped up that season with the AHL’s Lowell Lock Monsters. In 2003, Eric Staal was picked second overall and became the first player post-relocation to surpass 1,000 NHL games.
Mascot and Team Name
RALEIGH – APRIL 19: Mascot Stormy of the Carolina Hurricanes drives an ATV through a ring of fire during game two of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the New Jersey Devils at the ESA in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 19, 2002. The Hurricanes won 2-1 in overtime. (Photo by Kent Smith/Getty Images/NHLI)
Meet Stormy, the Carolina Hurricanes’ mascot, proudly sporting number 97 in honor of the year the team relocated. Representing Eastern North Carolina’s rich hog farming history, Stormy the Ice Hog was a playful nod to the area’s culture. The team initially considered the name “Ice Hogs” but ultimately settled on the Hurricanes.
Traveling
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 19: Seth Jarvis #24 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates his goal against the Seattle Kraken during the third period at Climate Pledge Arena on October 19, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The Hurricanes rank 10th in the NHL for the most travel. In the 2022-2023 season alone, they covered a staggering 53,783.30 miles, making them the only team from the Metropolitan Division to make the top 10 in travel distance.
Bunch Of Jerks
Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
In 2019, commentator Don Cherry dubbed the Hurricanes a “bunch of jerks” for their creative post-win celebrations, known as Storm Surges. These playful antics included themes like fishing, boxing, lightsaber duels, and basketball. Though the Storm Surges have toned down, the team still enjoys celebrating victories with their fans in style.
Corn Fritters Recipe by Joan Zaffary from All Recipes.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
3 cups oil for frying
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon shortening, melted
1 (12 ounces) can whole kernel corn, drained
Photo by Getty Images
Directions
Heat oil in a heavy pot or deep fryer to 365°F.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat egg, milk, and melted shortening together in a small bowl. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture. Stir in corn.
Working in batches, drop the fritter batter by spoonfuls into the hot oil. Fry until golden.
Remove fritters with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Cook onion and garlic until onion is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add umeboshi paste, stirring until combined, about 1 minute.
Stir in greens; season with salt and black pepper. Cook until greens are just wilted, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add milk, nutritional yeast, and cayenne to a skillet and bring to a simmer. Cook until greens are tender and liquid is thickened slightly, about 8 minutes.
Season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with more nutritional yeast, if desired.
Preparing ahead: Greens can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan plus more for serving
¼ cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 lemon zest and juice
½ teaspoon salt plus more for pasta water
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (5-ounce) container baby spinach
Photo by Getty Images
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook to al dente according to package directions.
Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain and return the pasta to the covered pot.
Blend the ricotta, Parmesan, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice zest, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes; process for 1 to 2 minutes, or until very smooth.
Add the ricotta mixture, ½ cup of reserved pasta water, and spinach to the cooked pasta. Set over low heat and cook until the pasta has absorbed some of the cream sauce and the baby spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes. Add more pasta water as needed until you reach your desired consistency.
Heat-treat flour: Place the flour in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it for 1 minute and 15 seconds, stirring in 15-second intervals. This ensures the flour is safe to eat.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the brownsugar and butter until creamy.
Beat in vanillaextract, almondextract, and salt until well combined.
Gradually mix in the heat-treated flour until crumbles form.
Mix in milk until soft dough forms.
Fold in chocolatechips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Logan Brown #22 of the St. Louis Blues (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
There are only four NHL players who were born in North Carolina. These players are Logan Brown (pictured above), Jarden Boll, Jake Leschyshyn, and Ben Smith. Two of the players, Logan Brown and Jake Leschyshyn, are from Raleigh which is home to the NHL team the Carolina Hurricanes. Ben Smith, from Winston Salem, became a Stanley Cup champ with the Blackhawks in the 2012-2013 season, only his second season in the NHL. North Carolina is home to a successful, growing NHL franchise but falls short when it comes to homegrown players.
State Sport
Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images
Stock car racing is the official sport of North Carolina as of 2011. Charlotte, North Carolina is home to Charlotte Motor Speedway which is known as the “home” of NASCAR. North Carolina houses more than 80% of NASCAR racing teams and related industries. Motorsports have generated billions of dollars in revenue for the state each year.
Professional Sports
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
North Carolina holds almost every major professional sport, minus the MLB. Although there isn’t an MLB team in North Carolina, there are two Triple-A East teams, the Charlotte Knights and Durham Bulls. Across North Carolina, professional sports teams include the Carolina Hurricanes (NHL), Charlotte Hornets (NBA), Carolina Panthers (NFL), Charlotte Chaos (PLL), Charlotte FC (MLS), North Carolina Courage (NWSL), and Anthem Rugby Carolina (MLR). North Carolina is also home to teams in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Haas Formula 1 Team.
NHL Record
Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes recorded the 6th longest playoff overtime in history at 79:47 minutes during the 2023 playoff series against the Florida Panthers. That series ended with a 4-0 loss against the Panthers.
Tar Heel NCAA Record
Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images
The Tar Heels have won 50 NCAA Championships across 8 sports. 22 of these NCAA Championships came from the Women’s Soccer team, spanning from 1981 to 2012. UNC-Chapel Hill is eighth overall in the NCAA Division 1 Team Championships.
North Carolina Olympians
Anna Cockrell U.S. Olympic Team Track & Field Trials (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
As of 2021, 14 Olympic athletes and coaches were born and raised in North Carolina with a total of 32 Olympic athletes and coaches having ties to North Carolina. Harry Williamson, a runner from High Point, was the first NC Olympian in 1936. Michael Jordan is amongst the notable Olympians from North Carolina.
Duke University Football
Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images
Duke University was the first school to have a football team in North Carolina. The football team was created in 1888, back when the school was named Trinity College. Their first game was played against From 1890 to 1895, Trinity College played without a head coach, going undefeated in 1891.
