How much a family of 4 could pay to watch the Canes in the Stanley Cup Final

It has been 20 years since the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup. Now, they have a chance to do it again.

Watching the Canes battle the Vegas Golden Knights at the Lenovo Center in these final games of the season is an opportunity a family looking to create lifelong memories might jump at.

But if you want to see the Stanley Cup Final games in person, it’s going to cost you. A lot.

Here’s how much a family of four could expect to dish out to attend Tuesday night’s Game 1 in Raleigh.

How much are tickets to watch the Canes?

As of Tuesday afternoon, the four cheapest tickets available on Ticketmaster, located in the 300 level, cost about $722 each. That adds up to about $2,932 before taxes.

Of course, those are resale tickets. Tickets very quickly sold out over the weekend.

How much is Lenovo Center parking?

Parking has become steadily more expensive as the Canes have edged closer to the Stanley Cup trophy.

Some fans paid $45 for parking at the Lenovo Center when the Canes played the Flyers, back in early May. If they waited to pay for parking until game night, they would have paid $60.

When the Canes advanced to face the Montreal Canadiens, customers had to dish out $53 for general parking before the game, while those who bought a parking pass on site paid $75.

Now, the Lenovo Center is charging $65 for parking in advance and $95 on site.

Assuming the family buys a parking pass online, the bill for the evening, so far, is $2,997, excluding tax. And they haven’t even gotten to the stadium yet.

How much are food and drinks at the Lenovo Center?

Some Canes fans tailgate at the Lenovo Center or eat elsewhere ahead of the game, which could help them save money by avoiding marked-up food and drinks.

But others may not be able to resist popcorn, hot dogs, beer and soda while taking in the action on the ice.

The Lenovo Center didn’t immediately respond to The News & Observer’s request Monday for details on the most affordable food and drink options in the arena.

However, at a Canes game against the Flyers in early May, an order of popcorn cost $10, a Storm Brew was $12.50, and a draft craft beer was $20.

Full meals could be much more expensive.

Prices for most of the refreshments sold at the Lenovo Center aren’t available online. But the Carolina Hurricanes website does have menu details for one concept, Willy’s Hot Chicken, which is from former Canes player Justin Williams.

According to the online menu, the shop serves meals with two hot chicken sliders or three tenders, both with fries and a sauce, for $18 each. Sodas are $6.50, water is $6, and beer is $18.

So if all four people ordered a meal, that’s $72. Add a couple of sodas and two beers, another $49, and that’s $121.

Now the pre-tax total spent on the evening, including tickets, parking, four meals from Willy’s Hot Chicken, plus two sodas and two beers, is $3,118.

What about souvenirs?

But at least souvenirs don’t have to pile on to your credit card debt. The Canes are placing Stanley Cup Final towels on seats for Tuesday’s game.

Or, the family of four could just huddle together on the couch, order in some food and watch the game at home.

Renee Umsted

The News & Observer

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Renee Umsted is The News & Observer’s Affordability Reporter. She writes about what it costs to live in the Triangle, with a consumer-focused approach. She has a degree in journalism from TCU.