Canes superfan's horn becomes the soundtrack of the season
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Mike Whiting, better known to Carolina Hurricanes fans as "Big Mike," has spent 25 years rallying crowds inside the Lenovo Center with his booming horn and signature "Let's go Canes" chant. The longtime fan and Canes ambassador says this postseason has been "electric."
Whiting, who can often be found on the concourse greeting fellow Caniacs and showing off his 2006 Stanley Cup ring, said nothing compares to the atmosphere of playoff hockey.
"You got the lights, the sounds, you can hear the players yelling from the ice skate scraping on the ice. It's like a multi-sensory experience. You have to be here," he said.
Whiting sits in Section 229 for every home game, right beside the siren, bringing his "infectious energy" and, of course, his horn.
"It's just amazing, the atmosphere and being around all the people, everybody rooting for the same team," he said.
His fandom deepened in 2002 when he joined the Storm Squad, the NHL's first gameday dance and spirit team.
"A lot of other teams, they would either send people out here to observe us or just calling, you know, what do we need to do to start a program like this," he said.
During that first season, Whiting found a box of horns in a storage room.
"There was a big box of horns. It looked just like this. I said, Let's play with those. And I started blowing the horn. That was sometime back in the 2002 season. It never stopped," he said.
Since then, the horn has become a rallying cry for Hurricanes fans.
"I blow it after every goal and then if I feel the crowd needs a little pump up or something," he said.
Whiting said he's grateful to play even a small role in fans' game-night memories.
"It feels good to have a small part of their game night experience and maybe give them some good memories. It's all about the fans," he said.
Whiting has faced health challenges in recent years and needs a double hip replacement. Thecommunity raised more than $50,000 last year to help him get the care he needs.
