Carolina Hurricanes: The WCC Will Help Change Hockey in Raleigh

The Carolina Hurricanes will get a new practice facility soon.

The Carolina Hurricanes and the hockey community of the greater Raleigh area have lacked a true small hockey arena. However, that all changes in a few weeks’ time when the Wake Competition Center opens.

PNC Arena, the hockey hub for North Carolina, has held many responsibilities over the years to ensure the growth of the sport in a non-traditional hockey market. While the 18,600 seat venue has handled every NHL, Carolina Hurricanes, and even some larger college hockey events, what about all the hockey games that all located all across Wake County.

Ever since hockey exploded in the area, many small hockey rinks have had to handle the increasing ice use and have struggled to keep up with the needs of the sports. Places like the Cary Ice House, the factory in Wake Forest, and the Raleigh Iceplex have all seen increased amounts of issues in the realms of ice times, no seating, aging buildings, and lack of facilities for teams.

The prime example is Raleigh Center Ice or “RCI” that has been the practice facility for the Carolina Hurricanes since 1999. The building is so out of date and unsuited from an NHL team that Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell would tell free agents that the Hurricanes don’t even have a practice facility.

That is where the Wake Competition Center steps in.

This brand new facility will not only be the new practice facility for the Carolina Hurricanes, but will also host NC State hockey, Duke Hockey, the junior canes, junior canes girls, and so much more.

It fixes so many issues that have plagued hockey teams in this area for years. It will have seating for almost 1,700 people, have two sheets of ice, and dedicated facilities that were designed for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Just looking at some of the pictures of this unfinished facility has me excited about the future of

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hockey in this area. Plus, every first event to be held at the WCC is a huge junior hockey tournament an event that many would have never thought be possible without this new complex.

Two sheets of ice and expansive locker rooms will go a long way towards ensuring that the sport of hockey continues to grow in the state and take off rapidly.

The Wake Competition Center is located off I-40 near the airport and is open to the public if you wish to see the building before it opens.

Question for the CC Readers: What are you hoping to see in the WCC?