WRAL Sports Fan

Hurricanes

Canes owner Karmanos talks All-Star game, more during Tuesday press conference

By Ryan Craig

Feb 9, 2010

Season ticket sales, minor league hockey, the 2011 NHL All-Star game, and next year's salary budget - all of it was addressed Tuesday afternoon in Raleigh when Peter Karmanos, the owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, held a press conference at the RBC Center.

Karmanos, who has built the Carolina Hurricanes franchise from the ground up in an area of the country that was thought not to have enough support to carry an NHL franchise, is proud of what he has done, but wants more.

It appears several of the largest hurdles the team has yet to clear could be overtaken in short order - including housing a minor league hockey affiliate closer to Raleigh, and hosting the NHL's All-Star game in the City of Oaks.

Tuesday, Karmanos said it was likely that the NHL would decide on the host for the 2011 All-Star Game before the Olympic break, and that Carolina is squarely in position to host its first game. The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced their intentions to stake claim to the game, but Karmanos said he would be very disappointed if Carolina was denied a game within the next few seasons.

An All-Star game at the RBC Center would mean a lot for Karmanos' team - increased publicity league-wide, and perhaps most importantly, the monetary boost every team needs in a down economy. The Hurricanes sold about 10,000 season-ticket equivalents this season, a number Karmanos would like to see get to around 14,000. He believes having the All-Star Game would help achieve that goal.

Having a minor league team closer to Raleigh, on the other hand, appears to be all but  a done deal. Karmanos spoke about the Albany River Rats' intentions to have a press conference Wednesday to announce the news, and it looks as though the team will move to Charlotte - a relocation that the Canes owner says will help with logistics, money, and in creating a brand for the Hurricanes that will cover the entire Tar Heel State.