Hurricanes' Storm Surge, Canadiens' ghosts, Jets' 'Whiteout' about to get fans going in postseason
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The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs begins Saturday, and all 16 arenas housing the teams that have qualified will be packed with fans in the coming weeks.
Two Canadian arenas are back in the mix. Canadian Tire Centre, home of the Ottawa Senators, is hosting playoff games again after the Senators failed to qualify the past seven seasons.
So is Bell Centre, with the Montreal Canadiens welcoming full crowds to postseason games for the first time since 2016-17. Montreal made the playoffs two times since, but the 2019-20 games were played in Toronto due to COVID-19 restrictions and 2020-21 games were played in front of limited crowds at Bell Centre for the same reason.
In the United States, Enterprise Center is back, with the St. Louis Blues returning to the playoffs after not qualifying the past two seasons.
In addition to the excitement the playoffs bring, each arena has something unique that will make the games more special.
NHL.com is taking a look at the special features in or around the arena from each of the 16 teams who made the playoffs (in alphabetical order by team):
The Storm Surge, which the Hurricanes perform after wins, continues. So is Carolina having someone, often a celebrity or pro athlete, crank the siren as players come on the ice to start the game, as well as before the second and third periods. But the tradition that has grown the most for the Hurricanes is tailgating. When the postseason begins, thousands of tailgaters fill the parking lots outside Lenovo Center — including sidewalks and grassy areas of the lots — with their tents, grills, coolers and chairs. Street hockey, football tossing, corn hole, it’s all there, as well as plenty of music and food. — Tracey Myers, staff writer
For the fans at Ball Arena, it’s been a simple but steady tradition: white pom-poms. Going back to the Avalanche’s first playoff appearance in 1996, when they also won the Stanley Cup, whenever Colorado scores, fans cheer and crash their pom-poms to celebrate. Those of us who grew up playing Super Mario Bros. will also appreciate the power-up sound, which the Avalanche play if they successfully kill off a penalty. — Myers
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Pantera: Does more need to be said? Well, if so, here goes: “Puck Off” was specifically created for the Stars by the heavy metal band Pantera, which originated in nearby Arlington, Texas. It has been used as the Stars’ entrance song since 1999 but since 2013-14 has also been played after every Stars goal at American Airlines Center. Fans also yell “Stars” the two times it’s mentioned during the national anthem. In the third period, fans get singing again, this time with Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places.” — Myers
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Things can get as rowdy outside of Rogers Place as they do inside with fans gathering at the Ice District Plaza adjacent to the arena, nicknamed the Moss Pit after the Oilers longtime trainer Joey Moss, who died in 2020. Fans are able to watch the game on big screens, and with limited capacity, the plaza has become the place to be since it opened for the 2022 playoffs. — Derek van Diest, staff writer
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Before their 2012 first round against the New Jersey Devils, the Panthers put a large bass drum behind the home goal to get the crowd fired up with the help of local celebrities and sports figures. Those who have been part of the pregame festivities include Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino, 1997 World Series MVP Livan Hernandez, and South Florida native Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat. Before Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena, Hall of Fame goalie Roberto Luongo got the pregame honors and hit that drum so hard, fans feared it would break. It did not. Neither did the Panthers, who won the Stanley Cup for the first time with a 2-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers that night. — George Richards, independent correspondent
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When you play your home games within paparazzi photograph distance of the Hollywood sign, there are going to be celebrities in attendance. And the star power only increases at Crypto.com Arena when the Kings are in the playoffs. There will be videos from the “South Park” kids and rapper Snoop Dogg imploring the fans to get loud, but nothing tops actor and comedian Will Ferrell leading “Go Kings Go” chants. He gets increasingly louder and more agitated in the way only Ferrell can, which sets the stage for the video board to cut to him sitting along the glass ready to lead the way in person. — Dan Greenspan, independent correspondent
Minnesota games always start with a young flag bearer (a different child each game) who skates to the middle of the ice at Xcel Energy Center, planting the Wild flag prior to the anthem. Right before puck drop, the “Let’s Play Hockey!” chant is led by a person or group special to the state. If your sweet tooth is calling, enjoy some mini-donuts from Sections 126 and 227. You can’t walk into Xcel Energy Center without getting a whiff of those delectable treats. — Myers
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Do you believe in ghosts? Bell Centre has inherited the ones that moved here from the old Montreal Forum. A staggering 24 Stanley Cup banners made the crosstown trip nearly 30 years ago, but the Canadiens have yet to hoist a new one since 1993, and never at Bell Centre. It is the favorite NHL arena of numerous visiting players despite the Montreal crowd’s passionate support of the home team. In fact, most players celebrate the electric energy generated by Canadiens fans, who will have their first opportunity since 2017 to fill its 21,105 seats to capacity for a Stanley Cup Playoffs game. Who knows what paranormal activity awaits this spring with all those red, white and blue legendary Canadiens retired numbers hanging over the ice along with their legacy, the NHL’s most extensive collection of Stanley Cup championship banners. Boo! — Sean Farrell, independent correspondent
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Arlette Roxburgh has performed the national anthem before Devils home games since the 1998-99 season and is adored by fans, who love her energy, enthusiasm and melodic voice. She’s among the longest-tenured anthem singers in the NHL; she sang for New Jersey through its Stanley Cup championship seasons in 1999-2000 and 2002-03 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and through the move to Prudential Center in Newark. She’s usually accompanied by longtime Devils organist Pete Cannarozzi and always sets the mood for an incredible sports night. In addition to ‘Arlette,’ Devils mascot ‘NJ Devil’ is always doing his thing to pump up the fans any way possible, whether it’s breaking televisions with a sledgehammer or getting the best of an opposing fan when least expected. — Mike Morreale, senior draft writer
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The Senators began a new tradition at the start of this season with the rally bell. A fan or local celebrity rings the bell, which is located in the 300 level of Canadian Tire Centre and is a tribute to the Peace Tower, the clock tower that’s a prominent feature of Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The bell ringing segues into the playing of “Hell’s Bells” by AC/DC, as the Senators come out onto the ice. In addition to the bell, the Senators will have a celebration outside the arena before home games and rally towels for fans during it. — Myers
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In February 2019, Enterprise Center operations director Jason Pippi chose to play “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” by John Denver. It caught on, with fans proudly singing along to it after the recording stops playing and play on the ice resumes. And of course, there’s always the “When the Saints (er, Blues) Come Marching In” that’s played on the organ every time the Blues score a goal. — Myers
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If you look up the handle @SticksofFireSG on X, you’ll see the post “WE ARE SO READY” from Monday. Sticks of Fire is a Lightning fan club that does its “March to the Match,” which begins at a local establishment, goes through Thunder Alley and into Amalie Arena, with fans cheering the procession. The group’s members settle in in Section 307. Also part of Tampa Bay tradition is the “Thunder Kid.” One young fan is selected to skate around the ice once to AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” stopping at center ice to get fans going before Lightning players come out of the tunnel. — Myers
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The Maple Leafs know they cannot fit all their fans inside Scotiabank Arena. So to get as many as possible involved in the atmosphere, they turn Maple Leaf Square, the city block to the west of the arena, into a huge tailgate party. Projecting the game onto a massive screen on the front of the arena, thousands of fans huddle together to cheer on Toronto for postseason home and away games. In addition to the game, the tailgate features live entertainment on stage, special appearances from Maple Leafs alumni, prizes, activations, food and beverage stations and a merchandise truck where fans can purchase team attire. — Dave McCarthy, independent correspondent
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The Golden Knights return to the postseason for the seventh time in eight seasons. Every year, the staff at T-Mobile Arena tries to increase production value from the regular season. Whether it is a dragon projection on the ice or a dragon atop the castle stage, Vegas always shows up for the postseason. Expect this year to be no different: loud music, loud fans, and a pregame spectacle. — Paul Delos Santos, independent correspondent
There’ll be plenty of excitement with the Capitals returning to the postseason, which means the return of Rock the Red, where everyone wears red to games at Capital One Arena. Outside of that, there’s “Unleash the Fury,” a compilation of motivating movie clips which plays at the start of the third period. The idea came from former director of game entertainment Scott Brooks and the title “Unleash the Fury” comes from a line repeatedly said by Tom Green in the movie “Road Trip.” — Myers
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It’s not a Jets postseason without “The Whiteout.” Outside Canada Life Centre, 5,000 fans (that’s the maximum allowed before each game) will gather around the arena streets. It’s music and fun before puck drop with those celebrating wearing wigs, team sweaters, costumes, and all are white. Once inside there’s the other Whiteout, fans dressing in all white to cheer on the Jets. Oh, and we can’t forget about “Dancing Gabe” Langlois; the man whose sporting-event dancing began at a Winnipeg Blue Bombers Canadian Football League game in 1984 is still going strong. — Myers
Learn about the history of the Winnipeg Whiteout
