The Lenovo Center in Raleigh, home of the Carolina Hurricanes, has been recognized as the toughest venue for visiting teams in the National Hockey League. Known as the “Loudest House in the NHL,” the arena often registers noise levels exceeding 100 decibels, creating a challenging atmosphere for opponents.
During the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour in September, nearly a quarter of participating players identified Lenovo Center as the most difficult arena to play in. Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart commented on his experience: “It’s the whole set up. They pack [the fans] in there so it kind of feels smaller. It’s a different feel. The road locker room is [bad], so that doesn’t help. Put that in there.”
The Hurricanes have maintained a sellout streak of 119 games since February 24, 2023, with strong fan support contributing to seven consecutive appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A New York Rangers forward added perspective on playing at Lenovo Center: “Carolina is pretty tough to play in early in the game. It’s so loud and the fans are pretty crazy, so if you can get to the first TV timeout without getting scored on, you are settled in, but that is pretty tough.”
Players and coaches from Carolina also appreciate their home advantage. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour said after an April victory: “I think this building, with the crowd the way it is, I’ve got to give them a lot of props, because that is a big deal when you get that momentum going. You feel that energy.”
Under Brind’Amour’s leadership, Carolina posted a 31-9-1 record at home during last season’s regular schedule and holds a .715 win percentage at home since he became head coach—second-best among all NHL teams.
Attendance at Hurricanes games has increased significantly over recent years. Nine years ago, Carolina ranked last among NHL teams with an average attendance of 11,776 per game. In contrast, they have placed inside the top ten for attendance each of the past three seasons and achieved second-highest average capacity (19,526 including standing room) during 2022-23.
