- Feb 18, 2018
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Carolina Hurricanes- The Greensboro years.
- Thread starter VaCaps Fan
- Start date
LakeLivin
Armchair Quarterback
I only went to one game there and it was a weeknight, but I'd call that experience as maybe "low to mid AHL-ish"?
- Feb 18, 2018
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HisIceness
This is Hurricanes Hockey
Greensboro never warmed up to the team for obvious reasons. I guess it was similar to Memphis with the soon to be Tennessee Titans around the same time. The attitude was it wasn't "theirs". Plus despite the AHL not working out as intended, Greensboro had a good relationship with minor league Hockey.
This was taken at puck drop for the first time game. A good indicator of how the next two years would be. The sad thing is, in theory this was the best situation for the team. A large, recently renovated building in a sizeable city not far away. But again, it wasn't "theirs".
Despite this, I watched the 1999 playoffs and thought the building was lively. At least it had an okay ending I suppose.
This was taken at puck drop for the first time game. A good indicator of how the next two years would be. The sad thing is, in theory this was the best situation for the team. A large, recently renovated building in a sizeable city not far away. But again, it wasn't "theirs".
Despite this, I watched the 1999 playoffs and thought the building was lively. At least it had an okay ending I suppose.
DaveG
Noted Jerk
weird thing is that game ended up being a sellout IIRC, just was a very slow arriving crowd for a variety of reasons. I remember my father and I barely got in to catch the opening puck drop and we had planned on being there quite early.
We had a 10 game package that first year, but basically unless one of the big eastern teams was in town it was tough to even get 10K people in the building.
Atmosphere in that Boston series was great as you said, something of a sign of things to come for the playoffs here, but the locals in Greensboro and Winston-Salem for the most part weren't interested in a team that wasn't theirs, and even back then going from anywhere in Wake County to a game was a pain in the ass due to traffic on 40.
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Unhinged Finn
Skunk is my spirit animal
- May 1, 2022
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Svechhammer
THIS is hockey?
- Jun 8, 2017
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It was... interesting
The in-house entertainment treated everyone as if we'd never seen hockey before despite both Greensboro and Raleigh having had ECHL teams for a little while before then.
But what I remember most about it all was that we had to drive 90 mins to watch a team that we knew would soon be 10 mins from our house. After the initial mystique of the first few games wore off, people just said they would wait til the new arena was built before really dedicating their time and as such attendance was awful. The Boston playoff series had the upper bowl tarped off because they just couldn't get enough people there.
For better and worse, things are much different now. But I do still look back at those early days from Greensboro through the 2006 Cup fondly. The whole thing is rapidly becoming corporate now when back then it very much felt like a team made for the local fans.
- Feb 18, 2018
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Makes, sense the story on Caps board had a radio station giving out tickets and a bus ride if you shaved your head for Chris Simon.
tarheelhockey
Offside Review Specialist
It was not NHL-like.
But it was the NHL, and that was a big deal in an era when we were less saturated with exposure. It was a very cool thing to be able to head up to Greensboro and see Jagr or Hasek or Bourque.
But it was the NHL, and that was a big deal in an era when we were less saturated with exposure. It was a very cool thing to be able to head up to Greensboro and see Jagr or Hasek or Bourque.
I loved the Greensboro years!!! I lived in Kernersville at the time and worked for a sponsor and 2 clients were other big sponsors--except for the playoff game, I don't think I payed full price, if at all, for over 20 games in 2 years. Subway had bogo deals one year, I knew the Ford dealership well as they gave away vouchers for free tix if you test drove a car (I never had to), among other deals. And I knew where to park for free--so basically it was cheaper for me to go there than it was to go to a Winston-Salem ice hawks game.
Sure, it wasn't crowded and the arena was built for basketball--but it was still hockey and I got to see Gretzky get booted from a game and Lemieux and Jagr play.
Sure, it wasn't crowded and the arena was built for basketball--but it was still hockey and I got to see Gretzky get booted from a game and Lemieux and Jagr play.
- Jan 15, 2021
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One of my most vivid Gboro memories was sitting on the ice watching Gary Roberts getting pummeled and his face getting mashed into the glass two feet from mine. Fell in love with hockey there.
