RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) 鈥� Thousands of jubilant Carolina Hurricanes fans crammed onto sidewalks, peered out office building windows and to cheer and wave at the team’s parade on Saturday.
The turnout that packed downtown was enough to leave their coach 鈥� the 20 years earlier 鈥� at a loss for words.
鈥淚鈥檓 in shock,鈥� Rod Brind’Amour said in the gap between the end of the parade and the start of the rally that concluded the day’s festivities in North Carolina’s capital. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 happen very often, but I鈥檓 just kinda speechless.”
The Hurricanes brought their Stanley Cup celebration to downtown Raleigh on Saturday, drawing a crowd that police estimated at 150,000, according to city public information officer Julia Milstead. That represented nearly a third of Raleigh’s population (506,306) according to U.S. Census estimates for July 2025.
By comparison, the Hurricanes held a parade around the Lenovo Center arena grounds 鈥� then known as the RBC Center 鈥� that drew about 30,000 fans in 2006 after beating the Edmonton Oilers in 2006 for their first Cup title. Then came a smaller, second parade downtown that drew about 8,000, according to The 草莓传媒 & Observer of Raleigh.
This time, players riding double-decker buses were greeted by what Brind’Amour called 鈥渨ave on wave鈥� of fans. They were screaming, chanting, waving flags and wearing Carolina jerseys, still buzzing from the franchise beating the Vegas Golden Knights last weekend.
鈥淚 was trying to explain to the fellas what I knew was going to happen,鈥� said as the playoff MVP. 鈥淎nd my expectations were so high because I know these Caniacs, I know what they’re all about, and I was still blown away. I couldn’t even describe how amazing that was.鈥�
The team took the rally stage with Staal hoisting the Stanley Cup skyward before a roaring crowd, while Jordan Martinook and Andrei Svechnikov were among a line of Hurricanes players who kept intermittently cranking the 鈥淪torm Warning鈥� siren that is a pregame tradition for the team to take the ice.
The Hurricanes even got some business done, with general manager Eric Tulsky calling reserve forward Nicolas Deslauriers to the podium to sign a two-year $1.75 million deal. The trade-deadline acquisition was set to become an unrestricted free agent, one of the few bits of roster uncertainty for a team that has the core of its roster locked up to long-term deals.
Otherwise, it was a daylong party.
Carly Goodman, 35, of Raleigh, was hard to miss in the front row behind barricades in front of the stage where the parade would end with a rally. She sported a red Sebastian Aho jersey, waved a large Hurricanes flag and was blinged out with a silver 鈥淪tanley Cup鈥� chain necklace.
She was drinking from a 鈥渂eer skate,鈥� the novelty mug shaped like a Hurricanes skate that sold out immediately during the Game 1 of the second-round series against Philadelphia. She got up at 5 a.m. 鈥� 鈥淟et my dogs out, they were mad to get up,鈥� she said 鈥� and made sure to head straight downtown hours in advance to ensure a prime spot.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been something special ever since 2006,鈥� Goodman said. 鈥淩aleigh鈥檚 a small market. We鈥檝e got college sports, but this is epic. It鈥檚 a team that everybody can get behind. It breaks down all the barriers. Everyone just comes together and smiles, no matter if you鈥檙e a Duke fan, Carolina fan, whatever 鈥� it doesn鈥檛 matter.鈥�
It was a longer trek for Scott Stiles, 60, and his son, Joey, 24. They weren鈥檛 about to miss the celebration even though they live in Concord, a city outside of Charlotte known for its ties to NASCAR and other motorsports. So they hopped in the car around 3 a.m. to make the 2 1/2-hour drive, arriving more than five hours before the parade was scheduled to start and finding fans like Goodman already waiting closer to the City Plaza stage.
The duo 鈥� Scott in a Svechnikov jersey, Joey wearing a Seth Jarvis one 鈥� had chairs plopped in the middle of Fayetteville Street straight back from the stage, their spot marked by a giant Hurricanes flag.
鈥淲hen鈥檚 the next time they鈥檙e going to win a Cup?鈥� Scott said, pausing as a 鈥淟et鈥檚 go Canes!鈥� chant wrapped up. 鈥淭hey might win it again next year, who knows? But we wanted to be a part of it.鈥�
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