WRAL Sports Fan

Hurricanes

All-Star Staal weighs in on Raleigh hosting the event

By Adam Harris

Jan 23, 2009

"I think it'd be great."

That was Eric Staal's initial reaction to the idea of an NHL All-Star game in Raleigh.  Staal, the reigning All-Star MVP, was a guest on 99.9 FM The Fan Friday afternoon. 

The 24-year-old star center of the 'Canes spoke to The Insiders just hours after Carolina Hurricanes General Manager Jim Rutherford confirmed that the league was looking into holding it's mid-season event at the RBC Center in 2012.

"It's something they should do," Staal opined as he took a break from visiting with the media in Montreal.  "They've had an NHL draft there, there's no reason why not."

This is the Hurricanes' eleventh season in Raleigh, and Staal believes the fan base is strong enough to support the NHL All-Star festivities.

"The game's grown there," said Staal.  "The hockey market is definitely getting bigger."

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman promised the Hurricanes franchise an All-Star game in Raleigh in 2001.  The General Manager of the RBC Center says the league has no reason to deny the City of Oaks.

"We had some requirements that we didn't meet early on regarding convention center space, and four and five-star level hotels..." RBC Center GM Davis Olsen told The Fan.  "I think we've crossed that hurdle.  I think we meet everything they're looking for now.  And now, it's just getting them to commit to it."

Both interviews, with Staal and Olsen, can be heard in their entirety by following the links on this page.