The NHL released its schedule for the 2012-13 campaign, and the Carolina Hurricanes will open their season in Winnipeg on Oct. 13 at 3 p.m., followed by five more road games — four on the West Coast — before returning to Raleigh to host the New York Rangers for the first home game of the campaign on Oct. 26.
That brutal six-game road trip does have its advantages, though. Outside of games in Phoenix and Dallas on Nov. 15 and Nov. 17, respectively, the Hurricanes don't travel further west than St. Louis after the rough Western Canada/California stretch. The team closes that road trip back east in Boston.
On the flip side, the Hurricanes have a seven-game home stand from mid-February to early March and play 10 of 11 at PNC Arena as part of that stretch. The Hurricanes will play 14 back-to-back games, and 21 of the team's 41 home games will be on Fridays or weekends.
The release from the team is after the jump, along with a team release on the Hurricanes' mini-season ticket plan games.
HURRICANES’ 2012-13 REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE RELEASED
Home opener at PNC Arena set for Friday, Oct. 26 vs. New York RangersRALEIGH, NC – The National Hockey League today announced the 2012-13 regular-season schedules for its 30 member clubs. The Carolina Hurricanes will open the season with a six-game road trip beginning on Oct. 13 at Winnipeg, prior to their home opener at PNC Arena on Friday, Oct. 26, against the New York Rangers.
The Hurricanes will play just two home games in October before beginning the season’s second month against the New York Islanders at PNC Arena on Friday, Nov. 2. Seven of the team’s 15 games in November will be played at home, including a Southeast Division match up against Tampa Bay on Wednesday, Nov. 21, the day before Thanksgiving.
On Sunday, Dec. 2, the Hurricanes will welcome the 2012 Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils to PNC Arena. Carolina’s seven home games in December include Saturday night meetings against Anaheim (12/22) and Florida (12/29), as well as a Wednesday, Dec. 26 showdown with the Detroit Red Wings following the NHL’s two-day holiday break. The Hurricanes wrap up 2012 with the return of their New Year’s Eve game, this year against the Montreal Canadiens.
Following the All-Star break in late January, the Hurricanes will play 20 of their final 33 games at PNC Arena, including a seven-game home stand from Feb. 15 to March 2. The seven-game home stand matches the second-longest home stand in franchise history (franchise record is nine games: 10/30/02-11/19/02). Carolina will play six games in April, with the regular-season finale coming on Friday, April 12 at PNC Arena against Montreal.
In all, the Hurricanes will play 14 sets of back-to-back games during the 2012-13 season, 12 of which involve travel. Of Carolina’s 41 games at PNC Arena, 21 fall on Fridays (7), Saturdays (8) and Sundays (6).
You can also download the Hurricanes schedule for Outlook (click here) or iCal (click here).
‘CANES ANNOUNCE 2012-13 MINI SEASON TICKET PLANS
Team offers fans 26-game plan and three 12-game plansRALEIGH, NC – Kyle Prairie, Director of Ticket Sales for the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced the team’s mini-season ticket plans for the 2012-13 season. Mini-season ticket plan-holders can opt for a 26-game plan, or choose between three different 12-game plans.
The 26-game plan covers more than half of the Hurricanes’ home schedule, and includes the team’s home opener on Oct. 26 against the New York Rangers. Of the 26 games in the plan, 20 fall between Thursday and Sunday, and the plan includes popular selections like the team’s New Year’s Eve game against Montreal, Dec. 26 showdown with Detroit and the season finale on April 12. The 26-game package also features all of Carolina’s home games against Eastern Conference rivals Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, the New York Rangers and 2012 Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey. Fans who purchase 26-game plans will receive three complimentary game vouchers, as well as special lanyards honoring their tenures with the Hurricanes that provide access to special season-ticket holder entrances and escalating discounts based on tenure at The Eye team store. Full-season ticket and 26-game plan holders who purchase their tickets by June 29 will also receive gift cards valued at 7 percent of their plan purchase to use toward PNC Arena food and beverage purchases throughout the season.
The 12-game Red Plan features exclusively games that fall on Saturdays and Sundays. Red Plan opponents include defending Southeast Champion Florida, and Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey, as well as the New York Rangers. All three 12-game packages include two complimentary game vouchers, and fans who purchase a 12-game plan by June 29 will also receive gift cards valued at 3 percent of their plan purchase to use toward PNC Arena food and beverage.
The White Plan boasts 11 different weeknight opponents, and is the only 12-game plan that includes the Dec. 26 game against the Red Wings. Also among the opponents featured in the White Plan are Philadelphia, Colorado, Washington, Pittsburgh, Boston and Buffalo.
The Black Plan offers a mixture of weeknight and weekend games against 11 unique opponents, and is the only 12-game package that includes the team’s home opener against the Rangers, the New Year’s Eve game and the season finale against Montreal. Other notable opponents in the Black Plan include Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston, Nashville, Toronto and Buffalo.
Mini-season ticket plans provide fans with many of the same advantages of full-season ticket plans, including a discount off the gate ticket price, the chance to purchase game tickets before they go on sale to the general public and priority status for ticket packages for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Mini-plan holders also have access to the Ticket Exchange Program, which allows fans to exchange unused plan tickets on one of the team’s 11 pre-selected exchange game nights.