Long before I was the owner of a National Hockey League franchise, I was a hockey fan. My passion for watching our great game has only grown as I’ve watched our team over the years, reaching the highest of highs when the Hurricanes brought North Carolina its first major league championship in 2006. As a fan, I understand how frustrating it is not to be able to watch your team in action. With the resolution agreed upon this weekend, we will finally have the chance to see the 2012-13 Carolina Hurricanes on the ice. I sincerely apologize for the delay, and for the hurt that it caused you as a fan.

This past summer, our organization took major steps toward giving our team a better chance to compete for the Stanley Cup. Our team had a need at forward, and we were able to bring in two elite-level players to fill that need. Jordan Staal is a big, physical center who is just 24 years old and entering the prime of his career. We feel that Jordan is the perfect fit for our organization, which is why we signed him to a 10-year contract in July, ensuring he will be a fixture on the ice and in our community for a long time. Alexander Semin is one of hockey’s most talented players, and our staff did a great deal of scouting and research to get a grasp on the effect he could have in our lineup. The addition of these two high-end players to a lineup that already includes Eric Staal, Jeff Skinner and Cam Ward makes this an exciting time for fans of the Hurricanes, myself included.

Again, I apologize for the delay to the start of the season, and thank you for your patience throughout this process. It’s time to play hockey, and I can’t wait to see what this team has in store for us this season.

Sincerely,

Peter Karmanos Jr.

Owner