2002 Eastern Conference Finals vs New Jersey

Lore & Background

The franchise was formed in 1971 as the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association (WHA). The Whalers saw success immediately, winning the Eastern Division in the WHA's first three seasons and becoming the inaugural Avco World Trophy champions at the end of the 1972–73 season. The Whalers again competed for the World Trophy in 1978, this time falling short to the Winnipeg Jets in a rematch of the 1973 Avco Cup Final. The franchise joined the NHL in 1979 as part of the NHL–WHA merger, renaming themselves the Hartford Whalers. The team relocated to North Carolina in 1997, rebranding themselves as the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes have won the Stanley Cup Final twice in 2006 and in 2026. They are the only professional team from North Carolina to have won a major sports championship.

In Their Own Story

The ice at the Raleigh arena was a pale, almost surgical white under the arena lights, the kind of cold that bit through the pads and made every stick-hand feel like a small act of defiance. Ron Francis stood at the blue line, breathing through his mouth, watching the puck circle the zone like a slow satellite. Across the ice, the Devils' blue-and-red jerseys moved in that familiar, patient formation—the one that had swallowed two Cup runs and countless opponents. But tonight the Hurricanes' red was louder. A forecheck from the wing, a body check that echoed off the boards, and then the puck was loose, and Eric Staal was already skating through the slot, his young face set in a grimace of pure determination. The crowd noise swelled into a single, low roar that vibrated in the chest. Francis pulled the puck back, found the slot, and the next thing anyone knew the net was rippling and the bench was a tangle of arms and helmets. The Devils' captain skated back to his bench with his stick dragging, his jaw tight. Carolina had not just won a game. They had broken a spell.

Reader's Guide

The Hurricanes play at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. The team's history includes the Whalers era in Hartford, Connecticut, where they played at the Hartford Civic Center Coliseum from 1975 to 1997. After moving to North Carolina, the Hurricanes played home games in Greensboro for their first two seasons (1997–1999) before moving to their current arena in Raleigh in 1999.

Did You Know?

• The Hurricanes' goal horn from the Hartford Civic Center remains in use at Lenovo Center.
• The franchise was originally named the New England Whalers and won the first Avco World Trophy in 1973.
• The Hurricanes are the only professional team from North Carolina to have won a major sports championship.