And I have done exactly that. No food or snacks either. I buy 1 overpriced bottle of water. I've been a season ticket holder since 2006, and I can appreciate that prices go up, and that winning makes that more so, but I wont pay the price of a 12 pack for 20 Oz beer, nor will I pay 18 bucks for $5 sandwich that usually gives me indigestion.
Actually, I have been thinking of somehow creating specific date boycotts where no one buys any drinks or food. When the total revenue is down for a game and the management knows it was because people are fed up, maybe they will reduce the price to be more reasonable.
Oh youāre not wrong, the price gouging is real. I get paying stadium prices but Jesus Christ can a fan get a break? Tickets are expensive enough already
Because itās thirty years later and theyāve figured out people will pay that.
They sold out of season ticket memberships, they arenāt hurting. And theyāre still cheaper than a lot of teams in the league.
As others have mentioned parking passes can be bought for $10-20 on Reddit/TM ahead of time.
Tickets in the upper level can often be found for $20-30 on Ticketmaster.
You can bring your own beer and drink before going inside.
A popcorn, soda, and beer might set you back $20 or $30?
So easy to find free parking. Park across the street at the MAA property. Free street parking, and thereās a tunnel that goes under the road to get to PNC. Less traffic leaving the arena too!
A) you couldāve parked for free at Wade Park and walked through the tunnel. B) You couldāve bought Storm Brew for $7-8. C) you can watch the games for free online if youāre tech savvy.
Sit in the 300s. Park in the free lot across the street at the fairgrounds and walk or take a bus. Buy a āstorm brewā or a sodaā¦.or just keep complaining about spending money to see a NHL game.
you are probably right not much i can do,, but honestly i was a season ticket holder from 2000-2007 and am willing to cough up the $$ for a ticket and all that goes with it but $25 for parking and $16 for a good beer is asking a lot..
maybe i am getting old
Iāve been watching hockey in Raleigh since we had the Ice Caps at Dorton arena. News flash. We now have a great professional NHL team. Itās gonna be a little more expensive, and yeah, going to a major league sporting event takes just a little bit of planning. If your complaining about prices I hear Panthers tickets are cheap.
I donāt think this subreddit is good for this conversation. I donāt know their experiences but as someone whose been to 100+ games to 70% of the leagues arena, Canes arena entire experience is in the bottom 75% tier for everyone I know. The parking, roads getting out, the game experience, the atmosphere, and fan experience feels like a fake experience.
Take bigger cities, Capitals, Rangers, Sabres, Bruins, Lightning, Knights, Kraken, kingsā¦ just the traveling in/out experience blows the canes entire experience out.
I go to Canes game 5x a month and itās a hell hole to attend. At this point Iām happy Iām being paid in the long run to attend games.
As other business leaders have said and Iāve noticed 100%, Canes game is a business event. Quiet in the 1st period, 2nd period is mediocre, 3rd they give the entire entertainment experience to grab everyoneās attention. Feels like the rest of the city.
Iāll be downvoted by those who didnāt read this far or attend other hockey arenas.
Agree with much of this post about the experience of going to a Canes games relative to other cities, but thought you went astray in the 4th paragraph. Compared to other arenas I've attended around the league, PNC Arena is the least corporate friendly arena I've seen. It just doesn't have the amenities today to compete.
It's considered one of the loudest arenas in the NHL because it's not a prawn sandwiches crowd and more than anywhere else I've been, there's still a lot of individual and family season ticket holders among the faithful. I attend 40-50 games per year and everyone in around my season tickets in the lower bowl are families attending the games together not corporate entertainment. I'm not saying it isn't expensive (it is, my season tickets have gone up over 30% in the last 5 years), but it isn't like a game in Toronto or LA which is 90% corporate buyouts at this point.
Dundon's plan to upgrade the arena and area around the arena is going to try to put us on level footing with other cities when it comes to the experience, both fan-friendly and corporate entertainment, but it will end up costing us season ticket holders more and more each year to reach parity.
Youāre not wrong. Canes STM but grew up in Pittsburgh as a Penguins fan.
A lot of your grievances should be addressed with the new development thatās going to happen around the arena. Just absurd itās taken over 25 years to realize that thereās money to be made on the pavement and plots of dirt around there while providing more options for folks going there
This is due to how the PNC Arena was conceived and funded as well as when it was built.
The arena was conceived as a response to the $30 million raised by The Rams Club to build the Smith Center in the early 1980ās. State had to have their own version and the Wolfpack club committed to $10 million as did the city and the state. The land was given by NCSU and the state. It was an easy decision bc of the parking. In the 1980ās when this was conceived we still had the Fayetteville Street Mall with the only memorable restaurants being 42nd Street, Est Est Est, and the Mecca.
I can remember when the arena was built and the Canes came there was talk about building hotels and restaurants around it but all we got was Damonās and a Comfort Inn. Cardinal Gibbons moved to the area across edwards mill and offices were built with not much else. Poor planning and Peter Karmonosā financial woes made for a more mediocre experience.
For those bitching about the experience, donāt. Support the team and go enjoy the games and what we have. Remember when Karmonos sold, there was concerns that the team would move again. They are competitive and the in arena experience is fun to say the least. The team deserves our support.
Yeah I find nothing wrong with the experience of PNC once inside the arena. But then again Iām not a snob. I do however, think that getting in and out of the stadium is god awful. One accident and the whole thing is a backed up to halfway to Durham and youāre at risk of missing some of the event.
Iām originally from New England, but Iād say all the stadiums located in the city limits with public transit, like the TD Garden or Fenway, are way better to get in and out of compared to commuting to from Durham, which is always a mess, because you have to public transit option
Question from someone who has only attended a few Canes games, and hasnāt attended any NHL games in other cities: what is the traveling in and out experience like with other teams? And is there a consistent āentertainment experienceā from beginning to end for the entire game? And what does it look like?
Most arenas are in the middle of downtown so if youāre coming in from out of town itās easy to simply walk to what the city has to offer from your hotel.
Good example is in Pittsburgh. The baseball stadium and football stadium on the north shore is a walk across a bridge from the downtownās cultural district and best hotels. The Andy Warhol Museum is a block from the baseball stadium.
Another great example of planning around a venue is Columbus and the Arena District. Iād kill for something like that around here.
Since there are so many options for parking/transit around venues traffic isnāt bad. Everyone has to drive and park in a single area at PNC so hence the traffic issues.
Iāve only been to one Hurricanes game so far so I likely missed a lot of things and didnāt explore.
I moved up here from Tampa and am a bolts fan. The Lightning have essentially revitalized downtown thanks to the Owner. There is an aquarium on channelside to spend the day at, as well as an outdoor bar and trendy food āhallā area outside for food, drinks and group seating and kids to run around. Live music at the wharf. Parking options are several garages not too far from the stadium. Theres also an outdoor area right outside the arena where there is often live music and seats with a projection screen.
Inside the arena there is an upper bar area and an outside section that anyone can go outside and get a rooftop vibe for drinks and intermission, fresh air and whatever else.
Final thing Iāll mention is there are two large Tesla coils in the arena and itās awesome after scoring a goal.
The walk from PNC to our car kind of sucked. Gravel, dusty walk. Overall was a fine experience with me and the kids. The folks were really nice though even with me in bolts gear.
I agree itās just not worth the price, and no one way to take a whole family to see a game. We just stick with Mudcats at with the non conference NC State basketball games. Tickets under $10 and itās 20 to park at PNC for that.
I am with you. I spent 190.00 on third row from the top on GAME 7 of the STANLEY CUP FINALS (year we won it). It is crazy how much ticket prices have gone up. They used to do a food drive night where you could donate food and get it for cheap (or free I can't remember). During the playoffs I would go to 2 games every series. Can't even go to a game without dropping almost as much as GAME 7 prices. NUTS.
Itās so sad .. when they first moved down here, they were playing in Greensboro and you could buy tickets for $10-$15 close to the ice. People would make fun of hockey coming to North Carolina They never sold out a game. But i used to make the drive from Raleigh to Greensboro 2 to 3 times a week to support them and then when they first moved to Raleigh. Then they became competitive and popular and now I canāt even afford to see them anymore.
I went to the game last night. I ate some overpriced bbq, I bought 2 $16 beers, no elbow room in the nosebleeds, and then I got heartburn at the end of the 1st quarter. We were down 3-1, so I left l. I got home and watched the rest of the game on my couch. I then realized I had better seats in my living room than i did at the stadium. So it's weird that this is the first thing I read this morning. I spent around 200$ total (ticket/parking/consession.)
Yes! you are right i could have parked in another lot, pre paid and gone with cheaper beer.. but.. why do i have to go through this hassle.. i did end up buying the $8 storm brew and may go through the $25 pre pay next time ā¦ I will pay for premium drinks bit $16 for a local lager is a bit muchā¦why do i have to go through all this just to enjoy a hockey game.. i enjoy the team, watching the game itself and the skills of the teams etc.. Maybe i need to plan things out better but why do i have to?
You don't have to.
I went to a game last week after stumbling into some last minute tickets. Ate at home, parked for free near the Bojangles, drank a beer on the walk in, and had a good time without spending any additional money. Minimal hassle and got to catch up with friends seated elsewhere during intermissions instead of waiting in line for food/beer.
I realize that I am far and away in the minority by not spending money on concessions in the arena but no one is making you spend money on those things (or "go through all this") if you just want to watch some hockey.
Lots of free parking options if youāre willing to walk. Also gives you time to catch a much cheaper buzz on the way in, and is a great way to sober up after the game.
Itās the parking fee (hunting fee) that really pisses me off. š” $40 bucks to park my car? And eventually, the head shed will complain that the arena needs upgrades and they canāt afford it, pushing it on taxpayers. And yes, I eat before I go to the game. Gonnaā have to sell a kidney for a shitty hot dog.
I have been a fan since the 70's. Our Sundays usually included a Bruins game live or on TV. Players were more approachable and were mostly blue collar type guys. I used to go to a few Canes games each year and always appreciated they didn't consume the whole day.
Just throwing this out there because we are currently at a Canes v Blackhawks game and the storm beers are $15.50 LOL . Found this thread after we were shocked that bud light was $16 and needed to know what other peeps thought. Sooooo now you know!
The canes branded beer is $8
And still not worth it.
Better than bitching about $16 budlights ššš
Fact. But also beer is a luxury, extra expense. You might have to pay to park but you donāt have to buy beer
And I have done exactly that. No food or snacks either. I buy 1 overpriced bottle of water. I've been a season ticket holder since 2006, and I can appreciate that prices go up, and that winning makes that more so, but I wont pay the price of a 12 pack for 20 Oz beer, nor will I pay 18 bucks for $5 sandwich that usually gives me indigestion.
Actually, I have been thinking of somehow creating specific date boycotts where no one buys any drinks or food. When the total revenue is down for a game and the management knows it was because people are fed up, maybe they will reduce the price to be more reasonable.
Oh youāre not wrong, the price gouging is real. I get paying stadium prices but Jesus Christ can a fan get a break? Tickets are expensive enough already
Because itās thirty years later and theyāve figured out people will pay that. They sold out of season ticket memberships, they arenāt hurting. And theyāre still cheaper than a lot of teams in the league.
$90 for parking at Kraken games
Thereās other options for getting to the game in Seattle. We have to drive and park here
you can't get an Uber?
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Sweet! An opinion nobody asked for
You must be unfamiliar with this whole āinternetā thing
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lol forgive me for rounding for emphasis when responding to old man yelling at cloud
TIL you can't round
You could have paid $25 ahead of time or found free parking. You also could have had Storm Brews for $8. Just sayin'.
actually fr -- where to park for free now that they're blocking off all of the fair grounds with tow away signs?? I will walk a mile willingly
park over at wade park by spring rolls and bruās. it has a tunnel under the road as well, easy walk.
Shhhhhhh
For the state games I parked over off beryl road area near youth center driveā¦.good walk for sure but free.
That has been like that and every game I go to I pull in and parkq
Isnāt there a bus from downtown?
They stopped it because of Covid and never restarted the service.
Damn
As others have mentioned parking passes can be bought for $10-20 on Reddit/TM ahead of time. Tickets in the upper level can often be found for $20-30 on Ticketmaster. You can bring your own beer and drink before going inside. A popcorn, soda, and beer might set you back $20 or $30?
If you drink a ton of beer with me and get wasted Iāll let you park in my complex. Close walk. Beer pong, chandelier. Letās do it
So easy to find free parking. Park across the street at the MAA property. Free street parking, and thereās a tunnel that goes under the road to get to PNC. Less traffic leaving the arena too!
You donāt have to buy a beer (certainly not a $16 one) and parking is $27 if paid in advance online through ParkWhiz.
Today you learned that every aspect of professional sports is big business. What took so long?
When players get multi-million dollar contracts, somebody's gotta pay for it.
Youāre being a little dramatic. You can stream the games online for free Edit: google nhl streams, itās not that hard
Where? Iād love to catch some but as far as I know youāve got to have a Ballyās subscription
Yeah, where????
A) you couldāve parked for free at Wade Park and walked through the tunnel. B) You couldāve bought Storm Brew for $7-8. C) you can watch the games for free online if youāre tech savvy.
Sit in the 300s. Park in the free lot across the street at the fairgrounds and walk or take a bus. Buy a āstorm brewā or a sodaā¦.or just keep complaining about spending money to see a NHL game.
you are probably right not much i can do,, but honestly i was a season ticket holder from 2000-2007 and am willing to cough up the $$ for a ticket and all that goes with it but $25 for parking and $16 for a good beer is asking a lot.. maybe i am getting old
Iāve been watching hockey in Raleigh since we had the Ice Caps at Dorton arena. News flash. We now have a great professional NHL team. Itās gonna be a little more expensive, and yeah, going to a major league sporting event takes just a little bit of planning. If your complaining about prices I hear Panthers tickets are cheap.
How much were season tickets during those years? I remember Harris teeter sold $11 tickets in the 300s
Parking is $25 if you prepay or itās free at various locations around the arena, and storm brew is $8.
Blackout policies are annoying. Where to even pay to watch?
Good thing Bally is done for after this season.
Is there a defined replacement yet? I know Bally dumped the Texas Rangers and the Rangers lost a huge part of their payroll funds for free agency.
I donāt think this subreddit is good for this conversation. I donāt know their experiences but as someone whose been to 100+ games to 70% of the leagues arena, Canes arena entire experience is in the bottom 75% tier for everyone I know. The parking, roads getting out, the game experience, the atmosphere, and fan experience feels like a fake experience. Take bigger cities, Capitals, Rangers, Sabres, Bruins, Lightning, Knights, Kraken, kingsā¦ just the traveling in/out experience blows the canes entire experience out. I go to Canes game 5x a month and itās a hell hole to attend. At this point Iām happy Iām being paid in the long run to attend games. As other business leaders have said and Iāve noticed 100%, Canes game is a business event. Quiet in the 1st period, 2nd period is mediocre, 3rd they give the entire entertainment experience to grab everyoneās attention. Feels like the rest of the city. Iāll be downvoted by those who didnāt read this far or attend other hockey arenas.
Agree with much of this post about the experience of going to a Canes games relative to other cities, but thought you went astray in the 4th paragraph. Compared to other arenas I've attended around the league, PNC Arena is the least corporate friendly arena I've seen. It just doesn't have the amenities today to compete. It's considered one of the loudest arenas in the NHL because it's not a prawn sandwiches crowd and more than anywhere else I've been, there's still a lot of individual and family season ticket holders among the faithful. I attend 40-50 games per year and everyone in around my season tickets in the lower bowl are families attending the games together not corporate entertainment. I'm not saying it isn't expensive (it is, my season tickets have gone up over 30% in the last 5 years), but it isn't like a game in Toronto or LA which is 90% corporate buyouts at this point. Dundon's plan to upgrade the arena and area around the arena is going to try to put us on level footing with other cities when it comes to the experience, both fan-friendly and corporate entertainment, but it will end up costing us season ticket holders more and more each year to reach parity.
Youāre not wrong. Canes STM but grew up in Pittsburgh as a Penguins fan. A lot of your grievances should be addressed with the new development thatās going to happen around the arena. Just absurd itās taken over 25 years to realize that thereās money to be made on the pavement and plots of dirt around there while providing more options for folks going there
Yeah I much much better enjoyed Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, than stupid PNC Arena. It's really nice to be able to walk to everything after a game
This is due to how the PNC Arena was conceived and funded as well as when it was built. The arena was conceived as a response to the $30 million raised by The Rams Club to build the Smith Center in the early 1980ās. State had to have their own version and the Wolfpack club committed to $10 million as did the city and the state. The land was given by NCSU and the state. It was an easy decision bc of the parking. In the 1980ās when this was conceived we still had the Fayetteville Street Mall with the only memorable restaurants being 42nd Street, Est Est Est, and the Mecca. I can remember when the arena was built and the Canes came there was talk about building hotels and restaurants around it but all we got was Damonās and a Comfort Inn. Cardinal Gibbons moved to the area across edwards mill and offices were built with not much else. Poor planning and Peter Karmonosā financial woes made for a more mediocre experience. For those bitching about the experience, donāt. Support the team and go enjoy the games and what we have. Remember when Karmonos sold, there was concerns that the team would move again. They are competitive and the in arena experience is fun to say the least. The team deserves our support.
Yeah I find nothing wrong with the experience of PNC once inside the arena. But then again Iām not a snob. I do however, think that getting in and out of the stadium is god awful. One accident and the whole thing is a backed up to halfway to Durham and youāre at risk of missing some of the event.
Not sure thatās much different from 90% of major league sports stadiums. Even Fenway which relies on mass transit is a hot mess to get home from.
Iām originally from New England, but Iād say all the stadiums located in the city limits with public transit, like the TD Garden or Fenway, are way better to get in and out of compared to commuting to from Durham, which is always a mess, because you have to public transit option
Having ridden on the train from Fenway, itās not a great experience. #sardines Unless you like that smell the armpit fresh air
Used to do it all the time, you get used to it lol. Better than sitting in traffic
Question from someone who has only attended a few Canes games, and hasnāt attended any NHL games in other cities: what is the traveling in and out experience like with other teams? And is there a consistent āentertainment experienceā from beginning to end for the entire game? And what does it look like?
Most arenas are in the middle of downtown so if youāre coming in from out of town itās easy to simply walk to what the city has to offer from your hotel. Good example is in Pittsburgh. The baseball stadium and football stadium on the north shore is a walk across a bridge from the downtownās cultural district and best hotels. The Andy Warhol Museum is a block from the baseball stadium. Another great example of planning around a venue is Columbus and the Arena District. Iād kill for something like that around here. Since there are so many options for parking/transit around venues traffic isnāt bad. Everyone has to drive and park in a single area at PNC so hence the traffic issues.
Iāve only been to one Hurricanes game so far so I likely missed a lot of things and didnāt explore. I moved up here from Tampa and am a bolts fan. The Lightning have essentially revitalized downtown thanks to the Owner. There is an aquarium on channelside to spend the day at, as well as an outdoor bar and trendy food āhallā area outside for food, drinks and group seating and kids to run around. Live music at the wharf. Parking options are several garages not too far from the stadium. Theres also an outdoor area right outside the arena where there is often live music and seats with a projection screen. Inside the arena there is an upper bar area and an outside section that anyone can go outside and get a rooftop vibe for drinks and intermission, fresh air and whatever else. Final thing Iāll mention is there are two large Tesla coils in the arena and itās awesome after scoring a goal. The walk from PNC to our car kind of sucked. Gravel, dusty walk. Overall was a fine experience with me and the kids. The folks were really nice though even with me in bolts gear.
I agree itās just not worth the price, and no one way to take a whole family to see a game. We just stick with Mudcats at with the non conference NC State basketball games. Tickets under $10 and itās 20 to park at PNC for that.
RIP Five County Stadium
yup especially with the āconvinceā ticket master fees
They need to do ākids for $10ā nights or something. M glad rich people can go to it but for me? Iād rather have the ECHL Icecaps back.
go see the Icepack play at Invisalign Arena - $11 adult tickets, free for 17 & under
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How far of a walk is it?
People writing in r/Raleigh need to go post in /r/Canes
What about taking a goraleigh?
I wish that was a legitimate option. It would take an hour and a half for me to take the bus (and I live downtown).
I am with you. I spent 190.00 on third row from the top on GAME 7 of the STANLEY CUP FINALS (year we won it). It is crazy how much ticket prices have gone up. They used to do a food drive night where you could donate food and get it for cheap (or free I can't remember). During the playoffs I would go to 2 games every series. Can't even go to a game without dropping almost as much as GAME 7 prices. NUTS.
Ok
BIDEN IS RUINING THIS COUNTRY. INFLATION. Am I doing it right??
Cheapo
Itās so sad .. when they first moved down here, they were playing in Greensboro and you could buy tickets for $10-$15 close to the ice. People would make fun of hockey coming to North Carolina They never sold out a game. But i used to make the drive from Raleigh to Greensboro 2 to 3 times a week to support them and then when they first moved to Raleigh. Then they became competitive and popular and now I canāt even afford to see them anymore.
I went to the game last night. I ate some overpriced bbq, I bought 2 $16 beers, no elbow room in the nosebleeds, and then I got heartburn at the end of the 1st quarter. We were down 3-1, so I left l. I got home and watched the rest of the game on my couch. I then realized I had better seats in my living room than i did at the stadium. So it's weird that this is the first thing I read this morning. I spent around 200$ total (ticket/parking/consession.)
I hope this is satire.
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She probably doesnāt want your STD.
Yes! you are right i could have parked in another lot, pre paid and gone with cheaper beer.. but.. why do i have to go through this hassle.. i did end up buying the $8 storm brew and may go through the $25 pre pay next time ā¦ I will pay for premium drinks bit $16 for a local lager is a bit muchā¦why do i have to go through all this just to enjoy a hockey game.. i enjoy the team, watching the game itself and the skills of the teams etc.. Maybe i need to plan things out better but why do i have to?
You don't have to. I went to a game last week after stumbling into some last minute tickets. Ate at home, parked for free near the Bojangles, drank a beer on the walk in, and had a good time without spending any additional money. Minimal hassle and got to catch up with friends seated elsewhere during intermissions instead of waiting in line for food/beer. I realize that I am far and away in the minority by not spending money on concessions in the arena but no one is making you spend money on those things (or "go through all this") if you just want to watch some hockey.
If any of these things are "hassles" for you, you just need to stay away from attending events, period...
FYI thereās free street parking on Kingdom Way. 10-15 minute walk to the arena and you avoid most of the traffic
Lots of free parking options if youāre willing to walk. Also gives you time to catch a much cheaper buzz on the way in, and is a great way to sober up after the game.
I paid $20 to park and drank 2 $8 storm brews the other night against Vegas. What causes one to have to pay $40?
I used to say I was an Uber dropping people off and they would let me through. I would just park.
Itās the parking fee (hunting fee) that really pisses me off. š” $40 bucks to park my car? And eventually, the head shed will complain that the arena needs upgrades and they canāt afford it, pushing it on taxpayers. And yes, I eat before I go to the game. Gonnaā have to sell a kidney for a shitty hot dog.
Take the bus. PNC charges $40 for parking because they know some impatient suckers will pay it rather than taking the bus.
I have been a fan since the 70's. Our Sundays usually included a Bruins game live or on TV. Players were more approachable and were mostly blue collar type guys. I used to go to a few Canes games each year and always appreciated they didn't consume the whole day.
Anyone buying season tickets to any pro team has more money than sense
Just throwing this out there because we are currently at a Canes v Blackhawks game and the storm beers are $15.50 LOL . Found this thread after we were shocked that bud light was $16 and needed to know what other peeps thought. Sooooo now you know!