Visitors from all 50 states and two countries flocked to the Triangle for the Stanley Cup Final, delivering a giant economic boost to Raleigh.
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, securing the franchise’s first NHL title in 20 years.
Sold-out games and watch parties at Lenovo Center brought big crowds to the city. According to Visit Raleigh, the six events totaled 12,000 attendees, generating $13.4 million in total economic impact and producing $255,024 in tax revenue.
That doesn’t account the economic impact from other local Canes celebrations, including the championship parade in downtown Raleigh, which drew 150,000 people, and watch parties held at Red Hat Amphitheater and in the Downtown Cary Park, which also saw huge crowds.
The Stanley Cup Final in Raleigh is also connected to 6,700 nights of Wake County hotel room stays, according to Visit Raleigh, which said people visited North Carolina from all 50 states and two countries to watch the Stanley Cup Final.
“We
are proud to be Stanley Cup Champions, but we are just as proud of the way this
community has rallied around our team,” said Brian Fork, CEO of the Carolina Hurricanes. “We’ve had sold out arenas for home and
away games, packed watch parties throughout the state and had thousands of fans
traveling to the Stanley Cup Final on the other side of the country. Our fans,
partners and government leaders have shown the strength of this market and its
passion for hockey and professional sports. We share this championship with all
of them.”
“It’s important to note the economic impact would have been significantly greater if Raleigh had hosted a Game 7,” Scott Dupree, executive director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA), said jokingly. “But no one here wanted to experience that level of stress, and thankfully, the Canes made sure it didn’t happen.”