The Carolina Hurricanes 2016-17 season is already underway by 2 weeks and 6 games, but because of the North Carolina State Fair, the home opener at PNC Arena is not until Friday, October 28.
An exciting youth movement on the ice
On the ice, the Hurricanes are in the midst of a youth movement. The young team features a trio of second-year defensemen in Jaccob Slavin (22 years old), Brett Pesce (21) and Noah Hanifin (19). The roster which is the fourth youngest in the 30-team National Hockey League also includes 19-year old Finnish phenom Sebastian Aho who is a rookie. Even the group of veteran leaders including Justin Faulk (24), Jeff Skinner (24) and relative gray beard 26-year old Jordan Staal is incredibly young.
The team should offer an exciting brand of hockey that is heavy on speed and skill. Coming off an improved 2015-16 season in the standings and icing a young lineup, the team is becoming younger and better at the same time. It is difficult to project how quickly the youth movement will garner results, but it seems reasonable to expect a return of NHL playoff hockey to PNC Arena in the near future.
For daily coverage of the Carolina Hurricanes 2016-17 season, check out Canes and Coffee which is a local, independent web site dedicated to Hurricanes hockey.
The addition of local food, beer, art and music off the ice
Off the ice, the team is launching “Hurricanes Homegrown Series” which is a new and interesting combination of Hurricanes hockey and a heavy dose of local.
The set of 8 “Hurricanes Homegrown Series” games offers a unique set of food options and also pulls in the work of local artists. Signature food items and flights of beer from local breweries will add a local flavor to the concession stands. Local music acts will perform during the first and second intermissions. And local artists will create posters and t-shirts that will debut at each of the 8 “Homegrown Series” games.
You can read more about the “Hurricanes Homegrown Series” and check the scheduled dates on the team’s web site HERE.
The first game in the series is Friday, November 18 and will feature beer from Foothills Brewery.
The combination of a youthful hockey team and the new series of locally-focused games makes 2016-17 Carolina Hurricanes hockey something to consider for your food and entertainment calendar.
Guest writer Matt Karash is a die-hard Hurricanes fan and the founder of Canes and Coffee which is a local, independent website the provides daily coverage of Hurricanes hockey.
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