The Carolina Hurricanes were formed in 1972 and joined the NHL in 1979. At the time they were known as the Hartford Whalers, until they moved to North Carolina in 1997. The team has played in the Southeast division and the Eastern Conference ever since. While the team has not had astounding success in the past 20 or so years, they did manage to win a sole Stanley Cup victory in 2005-2006, much to the delight of Carolina Hurricanes tickets holders. The team is well supported in North Carolina. Those that buy Carolina Hurricanes tickets have gotten their money's worth in recent seasons. They won the division title three times in the past 20 years and they have also won two conference titles in 2001-2002 and 2005-2006. The painful Stanley Cup final loss of 2001-2002 was avenged a few years later, much to the delight of Carolina residents. The past five seasons have been a difficult time for Carolina Hurricanes tickets holders. The fans have seen their team struggle to make the playoffs, with just one appearance in the past five seasons. They were 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, and 5th in their division the past five seasons. Only 2008-09 brought a playoff berth, where they lost in the Conference finals to the Penguins. Regular Carolina Hurricanes tickets buyers will hope that roster changes and other tweaks can help the team improve on their recent results. The four new players that have been traded into the team for the 2012-2013 season should help to erase some of the bad memories of recent years.
In 1999 the PNC Arena was opened and the Carolina Hurricanes began playing their home games there. The arena can hold 18,176 fans and is also the home of the NCSU Basketball team. For most hockey games, Carolina Hurricanes tickets are sell outs. There are television blackouts for many games, which gives further encouragement to fans to see their team live. Raleigh, North Carolina is the perfect home for the Hurricanes and fans have really taken to the team. Those who regularly buy Carolina Hurricanes tickets have seen their team have some great highs, but also some devastating lows. However, they have kept buying Carolina Hurricanes tickets in high numbers no matter how the season turns out. Many home games are sell outs and for rivalry games it can be hard to get Carolina Hurricanes tickets unless you make your purchase well in advance. Fans in Raleigh and other parts of North Carolina are used to seeing some top class talent on the Hurricanes roster. The likes of Glen Wesley, Gordie Howe, and Ron Francis have all had their numbers retired. They have made some good first round draft picks in the past, with the likes of Andrew Ladd and Jack Johnson enjoying successful NHL careers so far. The Carolina Hurricanes and their fans will be hoping that 2012-2013 is a turning point. Not making the playoffs for the past two years has been disappointing, especially as a lot of losses have been by very tight margins. Better concentration and defense could result in the Hurricanes being playoff contenders come next post season.