The NHL Canes siren sounder: A former senator was first. A country singer will do it tonight.
One of the most exciting moments in a Carolina Hurricanes game is when the storm warning siren sounds.
It’s a tradition started by the Canes in the 2008-09 season: a celebrity, a season ticket holder, a corporate partner or a fan will hand-crank the siren as the team takes the ice before each period of the game.
And boy, does it get the crowd hyped up.
Tuesday night’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Boston Bruins had Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly starting things off, followed by the Panthers’ running back Christian McCaffrey and former UNC (and Boston Celtics) basketball star Rasheed Wallace (who did a great job despite being on crutches).
For tonight’s Game 4, the Canes have lined up country music singer Luke Combs, a Shelby, N.C., native; Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley II; and Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller.
Here’s what happens: the “siren sounder” — whose identity is usually kept under wraps until the morning of the game — is introduced inside the stadium and that person then cranks the small but noisy cylinder, located in section 229 under the “Home of the Carolina Hurricanes” sign, for 10 to 15 seconds.
Hurricanes vice president Jon Chase told The News & Observer for an earlier story that former Hurricanes player Erik Cole cranked the siren before Game 6 in the first round against the Washington Capitals and used such force that he moved the siren 3 feet.
The first person to ever sound the siren might surprise you: former U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole.
Here’s a list of some notable past siren sounders.
From the football universe
▪ Super Bowl Champion Bill Cowher
▪ Carolina Panther Luke Kuechly
▪ Carolina Panther Christian McCaffrey
▪ NC State and NFL great Torry Holt
▪ Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo
▪ Baltimore Raven Steve Smith
▪ Chicago Bears (and NC State) quarterback Mike Glennon
▪ Super Bowl champion and New England Patriot Joe Thuney
▪ Seattle Seahawks (and NC State) quarterback and Super Bowl Champion Russell Wilson
▪ Carolina Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera
▪ NC State football coach Dave Doeren
▪ Duke football coach David Cutcliffe
From the basketball universe:
▪ NC State basketball great David Thompson
▪ UNC’s All-American basketball star Phil Ford
▪ NC State basketball coach Kevin Keatts
▪ NCCU basketball coach LeVelle Moton
▪ UNC basketball great Lennie Rosenbluth
▪ UNC basketball great Eric Montross
▪ NC State basketball great Dereck Whittenburg
▪ NC State basketball great Sidney Lowe
From the NASCAR universe:
▪ Superstar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.
▪ Driver Ryan Newman
▪ Driver Clint Bowyer
▪ Driver Regan Smith
▪ Driver Joey Logano
From the hockey universe:
▪ Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon
▪ Miracle on Ice member and 1980 Hockey Gold Medalist Jim Craig
▪ NWHL player Alyssa Gagliardi
▪ NWHL player Colleen Murphy
▪ Carolina Hurricanes alum Glen Wesley
▪ Carolina Hurricanes alum Bret Hedican
▪ Carolina Hurricanes alum Erik Cole
▪ Carolina Hurricanes alum Tuomo Ruutu
▪ Carolina Hurricanes alum Nic Wallin
▪ Carolina Hurricanes alum Sean Hill
▪ Carolina Hurricanes alum Mike Commodore
▪ Carolina Hurricanes alum Chad LaRose
▪ Carolina Hurricanes alum Shane Willis
▪ Carolina Hurricanes alum Jesse Boulerice
▪ Carolina Hurricanes alum Craig Adams
▪ Carolina Hurricanes alum Robert Kron
▪ Carolina Hurricanes alum and “The Amazing Race” winner Bates Battaglia
Other sports greats:
▪ Wrestling star Ric Flair
▪ Olympic gold medalist swimmer Cullen Jones
▪ Olympic gold medalist swimmer Ryan Held
▪ Golfing legend and six-time major champion Nick Faldo
▪ US Open golf champion Webb Simpson
▪ US tennis player John Isner
▪ MLB All-Star Chris Archer
▪ MLB Rookie of the Year Finalist Trea Turner
▪ 2013 MLB American League Rookie of the Year Wil Myers
▪ UNC soccer coach Anson Dorrance
From the non-sports world:
▪ Musician, “American Idol” winner (and NC native) Scotty McCreery
▪ Rapper (and NC native) Petey Pablo
▪ North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper
▪ Former North Carolina Gov.Jim Hunt
▪ Former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole
This story was originally published May 16, 2019 at 12:06 PM.
