RALEIGH, N.C. — Today is the day Caniacs have been waiting for since 2006, a chance to bring home the Stanley Cup.
Fans old and new are showing their support for the Carolina Hurricanes, including one who uprooted her life to be closer to the team.
What You Need To Know
- Janet Koehler attended her first Carolina Hurricanes game less than a year ago
- The Canes fever hit her hard, and she quit her job and moved to Raleigh to support the Canes at every game
- She has created a following on social media making content about the team
- Her favorite player is Seth Jarvis
Up until the last few weeks, Janet Koehler lived in Topsail and life consisted of hot summers, the beach and Pilates. Hockey was something she had followed in years past, but she had not attended a game in decades.
Janet Koehler, left, and another fan hold a sign to let players know she moved to Raleigh to support them. (Courtesy: Janet Koehler)
“I knew I loved hockey, but I didn’t know what was going to happen over the next several months,” Koehler said.
When her sons asked to her attend a Canes game around Thanksgiving, she was shocked her ticket cost $140. But after she went, her world changed.
“I fell instantly in love. I thought, I want more of this in my life,” she said. “Little did I know what was coming.”
Soon she decided she needed to trade in the beach for a sheet of ice.
“I didn’t want to have to drive two hours there and back for every game, so I moved here,” she said.
Koehler didn’t want to just attend games every now and then, she wanted to be there at all of them. She bought season tickets.
“I’m just beyond excited. It’s definitely worth it, 100%,” she said.
As a new resident to the Triangle, she is still learning her way around town, including to Lenovo Center, but that hasn’t stopped her from going to numerous tailgates, playoff games and watch parties to cheer on the Canes and meet fellow fans.
“I’m kind of shy when it comes to talking to new people, people that I don’t know, but… when it comes to Canes, I want to talk about them. When it comes to this whole atmosphere, I want to be a part of it,” Koehler said.
Janet Koehler gets a collectible Stanley Cup bag at the Carolina Pro Shop. (Spectrum News 1/Sydney McCoy)
She said she has been welcomed with open arms by fans, including the Ladies of the Hurricanes, a place for female fans, according to their Facebook.
“Women can love hockey too. And we can enjoy this sport and learn about the sport,” Koehler said.
While she has been busy unpacking, she has collected new house decor like rally towels and pucks. She has created a following on social media, making content about the Canes, including her favorite player, Seth Jarvis.
“There’s a lot of past about him and his mental health and the challenges that he’s faced, and he’s just overcome them. He seems just like a genuine, fun person. He’s upbeat, running, and jumping off the ice,” Koehler said. “I feel like his mom that he doesn’t know he has, because I love him, I’m very protective of him.”
With the Canes going into Game 6 tonight in Las Vegas one victory away from winning the Stanley Cup, Koehler says fans should show out for the team regardless of where they are watching.
“We are 100% behind you Canes, we are here, we are rooting you on and we want to see you win the Cup,” she said. “We know you can do it.”
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