Hurricanes to allow fans at limited capacity

Hurricanes home games will soon start to feel just a little more normal. Following North Carolina governor Roy Cooper’s announcement Monday that, as part of relaxed COVID-19 restrictions for the State, indoor sports arenas with a capacity larger than 5,000 can start opening to 15% capacity, the Hurricanes announced they will do so.

Starting with home game against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, March 4, the team will begin allowing 15% capacity at its home games, which amounts to 2,965 people for hockey games. Numerous safety precautions will be in place, including the requirement of all in attendance to wear cloth coverings, seats grouped in pods spread at least 6 feet apart and frequent sanitation.

Season ticket members will receiver priority for available tickets.

The full release from the team is below:

‘CANES TO WELCOME FANS BACK TO PNC ARENA

Limited fans will be permitted at games beginning March 4

RALEIGH, N.C. - Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team will be welcoming fans back to PNC Arena. Pending final approval from state and local authorities, the Hurricanes will be able to host fans at 15% of capacity at games beginning on March 4, when Carolina hosts the Detroit Red Wings at 7:00 p.m.

“The Caniacs are the backbone of our franchise, and we are thrilled to welcome them back to PNC Arena,” said Waddell. “Our staff has worked extremely hard to put protocols in place to protect the health and safety of our fans, as well as our players and staff. We want to express our gratitude to Governor Cooper, Dr. Mandy Cohen and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services for working with us to finalize this plan, and for their diligent work to keep the citizens of our state safe throughout the pandemic.”

All persons entering PNC Arena will be required to wear a two-ply cloth mask or face covering that covers both the mouth and nose. Gaiters, bandanas, and masks with valves or vents will not be permitted as face coverings. Masks may only be removed to actively consume food and beverage while in the guest’s ticketed seating area. All ticketing, parking, concessions and merchandise will be cashless. Purchases can be made with a debit card or credit card. Apple Pay and Google Pay are also accepted at concessions stands and The Eye team store. Limited grab-and-go food and beverage items will be available for purchase.

All seats will be grouped in pods separated by a minimum distance of six feet. Information regarding the ticket purchasing process will be announced prior to tickets going on sale and Season Ticket Members will have priority access to available tickets. All tickets will be mobile only. Paper tickets will not be accepted. Tailgating will not be permitted. Parking lots and doors will open one hour prior to game time. There is a No Bag policy. Exceptions apply to medical bags, diaper bags and clutches no larger than 4.5” x 6.5”. Permitted bags must enter the south entrance for x-ray screening.

High-touch surfaces will be sanitized frequently before, during and after each event. Touchless hand sanitizers will be available throughout the venue. All seating areas will be sanitized using electrostatic sprayers and an EPA-approved disinfectant spray following each event.

Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell will speak to the media via Zoom at 4:30 p.m., stay tuned to Canes Country for coverage of that.

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