CAROLINA HURRICANES AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL ICE HOCKEY TEAM NORTH CAROLINA THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE THE HURRICANES MEMBER CLUB METROPOLITAN DIVISION EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAY GAMES PNC ARENA THE ONLY MAJOR LEAGUE PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM RALEIGH THE NFL CAROLINA PANTHERS THE NBA CHARLOTTE HORNETS CHARLOTTE IN AS NEW ENGLAND WHALERS THE WORLD HOCKEY ASSOCIATION THE NHL THE MERGER THEMSELVES THE HARTFORD THE TEAM STANLEY CUP SEASON BEATING EDMONTON OILERS AWARDED FRANCHISE BEGIN BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS THE CLUB BOSTON ARENA BOSTON GARDEN INCREASING SCHEDULING RIVAL BOSTON BRUINS OWNERS MOVE CONNECTICUT BEGINNING WAITING COMPLETION THE WHALERS THE FIRST PART OF THE BIG E COLISEUM WEST GAME FRONT SELLOUT CROWD CIVIC CENTER COLISEUM AS ONE STABLE QUEBEC NORDIQUES WINNIPEG JETS THE RIVAL MERGED UNDER PRESSURE EXTANT NEW ENGLAND COMPELLED RENAME NEVER RECORDING WINNING PLAYOFF SERIES NORDIQUES BOWING OUT IN ROUND MONTREAL CANADIENS TAKING OVERTIME THE NEXT ADAMS DIVISION FALL PLAYOFFS SEVEN EXISTENCE LIMITED MARKETABILITY HARTFORD AMERICAN MARKET TRADITIONAL THE HOME TERRITORIES FOR NEW YORK HELP MATTERS SEATING PEOPLE FOR PROBLEMS MAGNIFIED START TRIGGERED SPIKE PLAYER PETER KARMANOS ANNOUNCED ELSEWHERE THE TEAMS NEGOTIATE CONSTRUCTION LEASE THE RESEARCH TRIANGLE AREA ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS SHORT TIME FRAME HIMSELF THOUGHT NEW NAME RATHER HOLDING CONTEST SOMETIMES THAT SUMMER COLORS GREEN AND SILVER MATCHING THE NORTH STATE UNIVERSITY WHOSE MENS BASKETBALL SHARE THE ARENA INHERITED THE NORTHEAST DIVISION COMPLETE THE TRIANGLE ICE PLANT DORTON ARENA INADEQUATE TEMPORARY USE THUS FORCED GREENSBORO MINUTES TWO SEASONS PRACTICE NEARBY HILLSBOROUGH ROAD GAMES CHOICE ATTENDANCE CAPACITY GREENSBORO COLISEUM BALKED THE DRIVE DOWN LIKEWISE PIEDMONT TRIAD REFUSED SUPPORT DISPLACED MONARCHS THE OPENING DREW LARGEST CROWDS SMALLER THAN CAVERNOUS TELEVISED CABLE RADIO PLAY COVERAGE WPTF BASKETBALL BROADCASTS FLAGSHIP STATION LEAVING TOTALLY UNAVAILABLE BELOW THE LEAGUE SPORTS ILLUSTRATED STORY NATURAL ESPN THE GREEN ACRES EMPTY SEATS AS IT PROBABLY CIRCUMSTANCES LAST NINE POINTS UPPER DECK LOWERING ON THE ICE CANES THE DOLDRUMS THE RETURN OF LONGTIME CAPTAIN RON FRANCIS KEITH PRIMEAU GARY ROBERTS PENALTY MINUTES PLAYOFF APPEARANCE SOUTHEAST DIVISION EIGHT SECOND DIVISION TRAGEDY HOURS AFTER LOSS DEFENCEMAN STEVE CHIASSON PICKUP TRUCK HOCKEY CLAIMED THE EIGHTH DEFENDING THE NEW JERSEY DEVILS THE DEVILS SEEN THE REAL ARRIVAL SIXTH BECOMING THE TENTH NHL HISTORY TO DO STANDING OVATION THE GAME WARM UP NATIONAL WAVES THE FIRST TIME CHARGE WASHINGTON CAPITALS ENTERING CHAMPION NEW JERSEY DEVILS KEVIN WEEKES SOLID RIDING WAVE OF EMOTION SAKU KOIVU RETURN CANCER TREATMENT THE THIRD PERIOD IN MONTREAL IN THE GAME NICLAS WALLIN HURRICANES THE MIRACLE MOLSON MARGIN TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS IN GAME TORONTO THE LEAFS MATS SUNDIN TIED SECONDS SEND CAROLINAS MARTIN GELINAS SCORE THE FRANCHISE STANLEY CUP FINALS TRADITIONS MEDIA ATTENTION THE AIRPORT THE RETURN ROAD ECHOED FOOTBALL PARKING LOT HOSTING MASSIVE TAILGATE PARTIES HOME GAME NOVELTY INSIDE THE CBC DON CHERRY RBC CENTER LOUDEST BUILDING PRAISE THE STANLEY CUP FINALS FACE DETROIT RED WINGS PROHIBITIVE FAVORITE STUNNED RON FRANCIS MINUTE DETROIT THRILLER EVENTUALLY IGOR LARIONOV PICK UP LEFT DEAD LAST SLOW START PAUL MAURICE COACH MIDWAY NEW YORK ISLANDERS BENCH BOSS PETER LAVIOLETTE LAVIOLETTE OFFENSE SUSPECT JOSEF VASICEK MERE ASSISTS NEW FANS ITSELF RUN INTEREST ONE OF THE FEW POSITIVE RESULTS DRAFTING FUTURE STAR ERIC STAAL THE OUTCOME LOCKOUT PAYROLL TURNED BE ONE NHLS TURNING THE BEST REGULAR SEASON RECORD SHATTERING PREVIOUS EVER FIGURE GOOD FOURTH OVERALL HIGHEST FINISH DALLAS STARS FEWER THE EAST POINT BEHIND OTTAWA SENATORS AWAY FINISHING TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING AVERAGING PROFIT THE MOVE CONFERENCE QUARTERFINAL LIFTED GOALKEEPER MARTIN GERBER REGAIN PLAYING INTESTINAL FLU ROOKIE CAM WARD TYING UP MOMENTUM GOAL CORY STILLMAN SEMIFINALS PROVED BEAT ONCE AGAIN SCORING THE BUFFALO SABRES JUST ONE SPOT SAW LINDY RUFF PUBLIC VERBAL SHOTS ROD BRINDAMOUR WINNER REACHED FOR THE SECOND TIME EDMONTON RYAN SMYTH CAME HOME CHANCE THE CUP HOME ICE COME BACK STUNNING SHORTHANDED BREAKAWAY FERNANDO PISANI BRIGHT FORWARD ERIK COLE BROKEN NECK SEALING STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONSHIP WARD CONN SMYTHE TROPHY MOST VALUABLE PLAYER THE FOURTH RAISED CAREERS BRET HEDICAN GLEN WESLEY THE LAST WHALER ROSTER WAITED MARKED PROFESSIONAL PLAYOFF GAMES LOS ANGELES KINGS FOLLOW PLAYERS FREE AGENCY INJURY ONCE THE LAST GAME THE SOUTHEAST CHAMPIONS CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS FAILED QUALIFY THE SEASONS BEFORE AND AFTER CHAMPIONSHIP THE BLACK HAWKS MISSED THE DIVISION ON THE LAST DAY NINTH MISS RUNNING PREDECESSOR ON THE EDGE OF PICTURE ACQUIRED UTILITY JUSSI JOKINEN EXCHANGE WADE BROOKBANK JOSEF MELICHAR DRAFT PICK WINGER THE MARCH TRADE DEADLINE CLOSE OUT THE STRETCH STRAIGHT CAPPED STREAK STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF REGULATION THE LATEST LEAD THE PRUDENTIAL CENTER IN NEWARK TIM GLEASON SAVED PUCK THE RIGHT JONI PITKANEN THE LEFT HERO POST