RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes, in conjunction with Visit Raleigh and the National Hockey League, today announced the economic impact statistics from the 2026 Stanley Cup Final home games in Raleigh, N.C. Twenty years since their last Stanley Cup Final win, the dynamic Carolina Hurricanes battled fearlessly against the Vegas Golden Knights to bring the Stanley Cup home to Raleigh and generated $13.4 million in total economic impact to Wake County.
With the series wrapped up, the Stanley Cup Final brought a significant economic boost to the Raleigh area with three exhilarating home games at Lenovo Center and Hurricanes Watch Parties for away games, bringing Caniacs together to watch the games on the videoboard inside the arena. These watch parties offered an exciting opportunity for attendees to keep the momentum going during the three away games at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In total, these three sold-out games and three watch parties welcomed more than 112,000 attendees, generated $13.4 million in total economic impact, and produced $255,024 in tax revenue. In Wake County, these events also yielded more than 6,700 total hotel room-nights.
"We are proud to be Stanley Cup Champions, but we are just as proud of the way this community has rallied around our team. We’ve had sold-out arenas for home and away games, packed watch parties throughout the state, and had thousands of fans traveling to the Stanley Cup Final on the other side of the country. Our fans, partners, and government leaders have shown the strength of this market and its passion for hockey and professional sports. We share this championship with all of them,” said Brian Fork, CEO of the Carolina Hurricanes.
“The Stanley Cup Final will go down as one of the most unforgettable events, sports or otherwise, in Raleigh’s history,” said Scott Dupree, executive director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA). “Thanks to the brilliance of the Hurricanes, tens of thousands of Caniacs will have lifetime memories of a magical playoff run in 2026. In addition to creating those memories, the Stanley Cup Final proved to be a massive economic engine for our region and will have a positive, long-lasting impact on Raleigh and Wake County. It’s important to note the economic impact would have been significantly greater if Raleigh had hosted a Game 7. But no one here wanted to experience that level of stress, and thankfully, the Canes made sure it didn’t happen.”
More than just North Carolina raised up for the Canes, with attendees for the home Final matches visiting from all 50 states and two countries. From increased hotel occupancy and restaurant traffic to national media exposure and global visibility, the Stanley Cup Final delivered a measurable and lasting economic impact and hometown pride. As the city continues to capitalize on this increased notoriety, the momentum of hockey in Raleigh will be felt for years to come.
Economic Impact Notes
Not all visitor spending might have been prompted by this event; in some cases, an event may be taken in by visitors traveling for other purposes but attending while here.
Direct economic impact (comprised of direct spending/business sales with visitors, organizer and media/sponsors) is not the same as total economic impact (direct + indirect + induced effects); direct spending indirectly influences additional spending by local businesses (through affiliated supply chain) and induces additional spending by employees of local businesses (through generated income). Some of this total economic impact also leaks outside of the local economy, due to the purchase of goods, services, and raw materials outside of the county by locals/event organizer.
The spending of Wake County residents is excluded from the calculations, as the basis of tourism economic impact is to track new money into the local economy, not the circulation of local money.
About the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh):
As the official destination marketing organization for Wake County, Visit Raleigh is responsible for promoting Wake County as an attractive travel destination and enhancing its public image as a dynamic place to live and work. Through the impact of travel, the organization strengthens the industry and community's economic position and provides opportunities for people throughout Wake County. Raleigh, N.C./Wake County welcomes 19 million visitors annually, whose spending tops $3.4 billion. The visitor economy supports more than 26,000 local jobs in Wake County and generates $321 million in state and local tax revenues, saving each Wake County household $720 in taxes annually. visitRaleigh.com
