NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will host a press conference regarding future NHL All-Star Games at the RBC Center Thursday, Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said in a phone interview this morning.
Rutherford would not confirm that the Hurricanes have been awarded the 2011 All-Star Game but said that the league has opened up the application process for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 All-Star Games.
The Hurricanes had bid for the 2011 All-Star Game in January. The application was hand-delivered to league officials by Rutherford while the Hurricanes were in New York City to play the New York Rangers in late January.
The 2011 All-Star Game was initially scheduled to be played in Phoenix, but the NHL decided to find a new location because of the Phoenix Coyotes franchise's unsettled ownership situation. As many as 10 other NHL teams are believed to have put their names in to replace Phoenix in hosting next year's game.
League officials were in Raleigh last month to make a site visit.
The possibility of an All-Star Game in Raleigh arose in March 2001, as a reward to area fans after the Canes' successful season-ticket campaign. At that time, the potential timeframe being discussed for bringing the game to Raleigh was five years. But in August of 2002, the team asked the NHL to push the commitment back to 2007 because of the lack of convention space and high-end hotels, an issue visited again after the Hurricanes hosted the 2004 NHL Entry Draft
However, with the new Raleigh Convention Center and several new upsale hotels now operating in downtown Raleigh and in Cary, the Hurricanes have a good chance, Rutherford said.
"We feel very confident that we will qualify this time," he said.
Javier Serna has covered sports for The News & Observer since 2007. He previously covered growth for the North Raleigh News, and sports at The Truth in Elkhart, Ind. E-mail 
Comments
I'll believe it....
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 22:24 — esteban1949when i see & hear it !! and if that short droopy ears fart blossum says 2012...I'll i hang that short sock monkey from the jumbo tron like the partisans did El Duce when italy lost the war.....gee maybe i better cut back on the sweet tea & nana puddin huh ?
The Canes are Good,My Grandkids are Better, and Life is Great !!
Go Canes !!
What's wrong...
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 11:05 — robotron2084with 2012 if that's the year we get it?
Canes press conference
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 17:54 — momcool23The kid in Chicago tells me that ESPN is saying that Raleigh gets the All Star Game in 2011.
Reading Tea Leaves
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 16:14 — JRs_FaultWhy would the league announce a 2012 game before the 2011 game? I admit that I would expect them to go to Pittsburgh in 2011, but to have Bettman in Raleigh tomorrow only makes sense if the 2011 game is here.
Conference is at 12:30, fans invited
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 16:01 — ctillConference is at 12:30. The NHL and Canes would not be calling a conference like this just to announce the game is going elsewhere.. although they might be announcing a different year than 2011. Bettman, Karmanos, Rutherford attending. Canes fans "are invited to come watch the news conference, as it will take place during the Caniac Cookout on the South Lawn. Speakers will be set up for fans to hear the announcement, as well as the media question and answer session."
It's nice to get the allstar
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 15:07 — PowderedToastManIt's nice to get the allstar game but attendance is so bad, there's no way it belongs in NC.
Attendance
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 22:27 — sittler27Please don't start this "hockey doesn't belong in the south" nonsense and let us enjoy the moment.
As of today Carolina was averaging 15,154 in attendance for home games. There were 7 teams with worse. Given the horrible start to the season and overall economy, while not the greatest scenario, far from "bad". I expect that with the team returning to competitiveness next year attendance will return to "middle of the pack". The NHL has far worse worries than Carolina.....Phoenix, Colorado, Islanders, Atlanta, are all major immediate issues. And the All Star game can nothing but encourage interest in hockey here.
Nonsense. Carolina
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 19:04 — ctillNonsense. Carolina attendance is higher than markets that are far larger. In fact, not long ago Carolina was outdrawing two original-six teams (Boston and Chicago).
You obviously didn't see all
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 16:18 — JRs_FaultYou obviously didn't see all those fans dressed as empty seats rinkside last night in Tampa.
Considering a 'non-traditional' market, and the fact the Canes were essentially out of it so early this year, attendance has been more than respectable, particularly compared to our SE peers.
He also...
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 18:53 — robotron2084doesn't remember the attendence for the draft back in 2004.
I work at one of the Luxury
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 13:32 — fusion2kI work at one of the Luxury hotels that the NHL did a site tour of last week and if you would have asked me after that tour if Raleigh was getting the All Star Game 2011 I would have said no way. They kept saying that they were going to have to book up eight hotels to satisfy their needs and they normally only needed three hotels. It really seemed like something that they were doing as a formality or something, just to satisfy the Hurricanes brass. They reminded us that they were also still deciding who would host the '12 and '13 games and we were in the running for that. They didn't like the idea of having less than a year to plan the game in what they thought would be the most challenging market to host it. I would bet that Pittsburgh is going to get the game next year and Bettman will just announce that we are getting one of the future games. I know that sounds crazy but keep in mind that Bettman hasn't ever been confused for a smart leader.
Congrats .... but
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 13:20 — AgentPierceGreat for loyal Canes fans. Kudos, Congrats, Enjoy etc.
Now brace for extreme hyperbolic over-kill about the "economic impact" of the event. It will not equal one NCSU FB game in $$$$ left in the community. It will not result in new industry, new jobs and blah blah blah ......
but it is neat for Canes fans ....
Future games, yeah...
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 13:11 — AllenH... for 2012, 13, 14 are 'open' but would they announce those before the one less than a year away first? I don't think so.
We'll get the 2011 game.
I'd bet most of us STHs...
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 11:46 — AllenH...will be left out, if not by the selection process, then by prices. I'd pay $100 each for our two seats: 325, row A but not $300.
Once the All-Star game gets
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 11:39 — mokimanoOnce the All-Star game gets announced for the RBC Center...the next figure I want to see is how many of those tickets will be available to the real Canes fans that have put the team on the map and continue to support the survival of the franchise. The problem with big corporate gigs like an All Star game is far too many tickets are held back for the VIP types and not enough tickets are sold and made available to the real, honest to goodness fans that support the team. In reality, putting down $6000 for a season ticket committment to have a chance to buy All Star game tickets will be the only chance most fans will have at getting into the game.
he's probably coming here for the barbacue and potato salad
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 10:51 — jejohn8and...whatever.
Y'all mus' be a Yankee
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 11:48 — AllenHSpelled out it's barbeque an' tater salat.
you forgot
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 13:20 — louis12580the 'nanner puddin! Oh, and the R.C. Cola with a package of peanuts in with the soda.
moon pie
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 13:28 — JustListenentoo
The last sip of an RC ...
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 10:12 — ocolumnnothing tastes better...I guess it's all the accumulated spit at the bottom of the bottle.
Is a time set?
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 10:38 — robotron2084Anyone know yet if Bettman's presser will coincide with the Caniac Cookout?
Yes, it does...
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 11:41 — AllenH...and I'll be there. I 'spect it'll be at 1:00PM at the 'end' of the cookout.
I don't know if he'll be here for any bar-b-q, don't know how orthodox he is.
Hard to imagine...
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 10:35 — robotron2084Bettman would personally come to the RBC Center to make an announcement that we would not be getting an All-Star Game. This sounds very promising.