WAKE COUNTY — The Carolina Hurricanes, Visit Raleigh, and the National Hockey League released figures concerning the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. The events generated $13.4 million in total economic impact for Wake County and attracted more than 112,000 fan attendances across various events in Raleigh.

Three sold-out home games at Lenovo Center and watch parties for away games contributed to the fan attendance figures. These events also generated $255,024 in tax revenue and more than 6,700 hotel room-nights in Wake County. Fans traveled to Raleigh from all 50 U.S. states and two countries for the games.

The 2026 Stanley Cup Final marked the Carolina Hurricanes franchise's first championship in 20 years. Carolina Hurricanes CEO Brian Fork commented on the community's support for the team. "We are proud to be Stanley Cup Champions, but we are just as proud of the way this community has rallied around our team," Fork said. He added, "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." Fork stated, "Our fans, partners and government leaders have shown the strength of this market and its passion for hockey and professional sports." He concluded, "We share this championship with all of them." The Carolina Hurricanes played away games in Las Vegas during the Stanley Cup Final.

Scott Dupree, a representative of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, stated, "The Stanley Cup Final will go down as one of the most unforgettable events in Raleigh's history." He added, "It proved to be a massive economic engine for our region." Officials indicated that the economic impact could have been higher if Raleigh had hosted a Game 7.