Hockey season is officially back in Raleigh, North Carolina, with a heartfelt tradition for Carolina Hurricanes fans.
The Canes 5K – a 3.1-mile long race around Lenovo Center – was held September 22 for its eleventh consecutive season. The race symbolically represents the start of Hurricanes hockey, with the club traditionally holding its first preseason game shortly after the race. (This year’s first preseason game was held Tuesday, September 24, against the Tampa Bay Lightning.) All proceeds benefit the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation, which supports children’s nonprofits in the greater Raleigh area.
In attendance at the event were Hurricanes president Doug Warf, broadcaster Mike Maniscalco, alumni and member of the Bally Sports Hurricanes team Shane Willis, and a wide array of current players on the roster. Shayne Gostisbehere, Jalen Chatfield, Dmitry Orlov, Brent Burns, Jack Drury, Brendan Lemieux, Jack Roslovic, Tyson Jost, William Carrier, Ty Smith, Frederik Andersen, Pyotr Kochetkov, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Martin Necas were all welcomed by runners and fans.
But there was one player with all eyes focused on him: Seth Jarvis. Now signed to a groundbreaking eight-year deal, Jarvis remains one of the core members of the Carolina Hurricanes. Many runners at the event wore the now-famous “Jarvis moneybag” shirts sold by the organization after the deal first broke. Maniscalco briefly handed the event microphone to Jarvis, where fans were told that there was “never a doubt” that Jarvis would leave during a chaotic offseason for the organization. About his contract, Jarvis stated that he’s “not a numbers guy”.
“(We’re) going to be pretty nasty this year,” Jarvis told the crowd of thousands when asked about season expectations.
As for the new additions to the roster? They fit in just fine within the Hurricanes locker room, according to Jarvis. He stated that he found the newer players, particularly Roslovic, to be “sneaky funny.”
This year’s 5K sold out swiftly, with runners of all ages leaving the starting line for over five minutes. Winners received trophies made of game-used sticks, handed to them by Canes star prospects Jackson Blake and Bradly Naudeau. Maniscalco called the trophies, “the second-most coveted trophies outside Lenovo Center”.
The Canes 5K remains one of the organization’s most prized traditions. Lenovo Center’s parking lot and outside visuals could be mistaken for a Stanley Cup playoff game, with inflatable bounce houses and street hockey spread throughout the area. Not only do proceeds from the run and post-run breakfast benefit children across the Triangle, but it’s the first opportunity for the greater Hurricanes community to connect as one before the season.
Jarvis famously said in a postgame interview last season that “Raleigh is a hockey city… everyone knows it.” And for Hurricanes fans throughout the area and states of North and South Carolina, his sentiment is true. Raleigh and the Hurricanes exist as one and the same.
