The Hurricanes "staged a flashy coming out party"
Wednesday night in Raleigh, as they started their season-
ticket drive for next year's inaugural season in the city,
according to Cecil Harris of the Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER. A
crowd of about 2,000 attended the event, as ticket prices
for the team's new 19,000-seat Raleigh Entertainment &
Sports Arena, scheduled to be completed this fall, were
introduced. Prices will range from $20 for general balcony
seats to $95 for VIP and club-level seats. Team Owner Peter
Karmanos, who addressed an audience that included the
players, coaches and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman: "This is
the Triangle's time to move into the big leagues. We're
confident that the Triangle will step up to the challenge
and support us." As part of their "Are You Ready" ad
campaign, the Hurricanes have hired Richard Petty "to spur
ticket sales through a blitz of print, radio and TV
advertisements." In the first TV spot, which debuted last
night, Petty is shown speeding around a hockey rink on a
Zamboni machine with his number 43 on the side. While the
team's season-ticket base in Greensboro is only around
3,000, Bettman noted that 51 of the 61 luxury suites in the
new arena have already been sold (NEWS & OBSERVER, 1/28).
