The Storm Surge
Justin Williams had an idea to unite the fans and make hockey fun again in Raleigh. He had all the players line up at the blueline and begin what is known as the “Skol Clap” (clapping your hands in unison over your head and stomping your feet with increasing tempo and intensity). The players would join in, and then rush the boards at the other end of the ice.
Duck Hunt Storm Surge! 😂 pic.twitter.com/K07Ctjdjs6
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) March 20, 2019
The Storm Surge was a hit. It would eventually evolve into pantomiming baseball games, basketball games, video games, curling, and even feature 4-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Evander Holyfield delivering a devastating knockout jab to Jordan Martinook.
.@holyfield joins the surge and delivers a KNOCKOUT! pic.twitter.com/zry8VkTR4m
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) March 2, 2019
The Storm Surge helped fill the PNC Arena, and brought the Canes to relevancy after spending an entire decade being ‘just another basement team’, but not without controversy. The Storm Surge went on to become one of the most polarizing celebrations ever to be seen in the NHL. Fans, analysts, and players around the league either loved it or hated it. Don Cherry, for one, was beyond offended by it.