Some Hurricanes' fans worry about possible sale of team
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- The party atmosphere at the 15th annual Caniac Carnival outside of PNC Arena was enough to stoke the most casual Carolina Hurricanes follower, but more seasoned fans could sense another storm brewing over a possible team sale.
"Yeah I heard about that," said Cherie Davis, who instantly fell in love with the franchise four years ago after attending her first game.
Monday, team owner Peter Karmanos said he would consider offers for his majority interest in the NHL team. Karmanos also revealed that he had hired a New York investment firm to negotiate the deal.
Some fans at the Caniac Carnival fear a sale would mean moving the team out of Raleigh.
"I was from Baltimore originally when we lost the Colts. So that was brutal," said Pat Reed, who moved to Chapel Hill from Connecticut two months ago.
Ironically, Reed was also a Hartford Whalers fan before that team moved to Raleigh and became the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Canes came to the Triangle in 1997, winning the Stanley Cup only nine years later, which significantly bolstered the fan base. The hope is that Karmanos won't dismantle that if he sells.
"I think he'll make a wise enough decision to keep the Hurricanes here. Everybody loves them. It's a great place for them," said season ticket holder Buddy Bartley, of Raleigh.
Karmanos reportedly balked at the idea of moving the Canes. Legally, he might not be able to do so immediately anyway since the team's arena lease runs through 2024.
A binding lease and a fervent following are what people like Davis, who moved to Cary just for the Canes, are hanging onto.
"It's definitely one of the deciding factors for keeping us here when my husband gets out of the military because we enjoy Canes games," she said. "So we want to stay in the area so we can continue to go to them."
