The Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup win has sparked a jump in youth hockey participation across the Charlotte area. Kids want to skate. The Queen City Royals, a travel hockey program based at the Extreme Ice Center in Indian Trail, kicked off its summer camp Monday with more families showing interest.
“It’s very inspiring, and you just want to work harder to reach your goals,” said Aiden Martin, an 11-year-old player from Concord, according to Queen City News. Martin says his goal is to play in the NHL.
Mike Busto, the Royals’ hockey director, expects the championship run will bring North Carolina families into the sport. More kids will lace up skates. “For hockey in the south, [the Stanley Cup win] is going to be a big boost for us,” Busto said.
Hayes Phelan, a three-year-old taking skating lessons, represents the youngest wave of new fans. “Everything he wants to do at home is just involved around hockey,” said Kameron Phelan, Hayes’ mother. “He loves the Hurricanes and the Checkers. We go to Checkers games all the time.”
Phelan says traveling to a game in Raleigh last month from their home in Charlotte was a great experience for Hayes. She has noticed more people getting interested in the sport, including her husband, who joined an adult hockey league. The whole family now watches games together on weekends.
Teigen Cain, a 9-year-old player from York, sees the appeal. “It’s just a great team sport,” he said. “You can get into all the action.”
Martin says more of his classmates have gotten interested during the playoff run. Some kids who never watched before now ask about scores. “You ask them if they’re watching the hockey game and they say no, but I think now they would watch the game if you told them about it,” he said.
Busto says the championship has created conversations about the team throughout the region. People talk. “It’s funny because going to the gym or restaurants the last month here, you hear a lot of people talking about the Canes,” Busto said.
The Charlotte area has three hockey facilities. Busto says there’s enough interest in skating and the sport to support at least another couple of rinks. Demand grows. “That’s the idea of [our program], we want to grow hockey here,” Busto said.