I moved to Chapel Hill in 1994. Having played hockey since I was 2 and on 2 college teams (University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University of Pennsylvania) I quickly joined a men’s league team. We played at the old Daniel Boone rink in Hillsborough. I had actually skated at the rink while playing as a teenager. It was horrid back in 1989 and even worse in 1994. Eventually a new rink was built in Hillsborough and another was built in Raleigh.

One night I was refereeing a youth roller hockey game in Durham and overheard the parents talking about the Whalers moving to Raleigh. I was pretty shocked. NHL hockey in the area? The Raleigh Icecaps of the ECHL had been playing in Dorton Arena since 1991 and drew a decent sized crowd. The Whalers moved to Raleigh and played in Greensboro while the RBC Center was being built. I made the trip often to see them play. After having to drive about 2 hours to see the Penguins play when I lived in Pennsylvania, a drive to Greensboro was not an inconvenience.

The NHL had promised the team an All-Star game since it moved into the new arena, but had been passed over repeatedly. Now, in 2011, the NHL will give Raleigh the 2011 NHL All-Star game. The events in the past included not only the NHL All-Star game but a skills competition, futures game and an old-timers game. It should be a great event and hopefully the weather that weekend is mild and outdoor events around the RBC Center can go off without a hitch.