Hurricanes

The Web site for the Carolina Hurricanes shows that there are two day left before the first game of the season!

Two days! That would be an awesome anniversary gift! Maybe next year, now that we survived a weekend away without the kiddies! Then again, that would be something I think they would enjoy. No, we'll do that later with them, when they are a little older to sit through a game.

I miss having a local hockey team. I remember when the Canes announced that Raleigh would be their new home. People shook their heads, saying what was a hockey team doing in the South? Well, there are other teams in the South but hockey was foreign to an area dominated by college basketball and NASCAR. Hockey? Don't be crazy.

But the team moved in the area and for a little while played in Greensboro, which was about an hour and a half away from where we lived. Still, we bought tickets and tried to make it to as many games as we could manage.

Then they built the Entertainment and Sports Arena, which later became the RBC Center in Raleigh, right by the State Fair Grounds and where NC State played football. It was great to have the team closer to home and we bought more tickets, not really being season ticket holders.

We loved going to games. It was so much fun! I even got bonked on the head by a puck while we watched the team practice! I was sitting by the glass and the puck went up and over. I believe this was before the NHL put up nets to protect fans.

Anyway, those early days of the team were so much fun. The team was awesome. Was? Still is, given that they won a STANLEY CUP!!!! Unfortunately we were not there for those glory days but watched somewhat from afar. Still, had we still been there, you can bet your britches we would have been there for all the games! We had tasted some play-off games in person so I knew the team was destined to win the Cup.

I miss the excitement of the crowd. It's was cool, too, that at one point we were the loudest fans/arena in the NHL. It's amazing.

And it's amazing that the team is still in Raleigh and has a huge following of Caniacs!

I can't wait to get back one day.

Go Canes!