For one summer afternoon, Riverside Park belonged to Logan Stankoven.

My husband, our two sons, and I were among the thousands gathered there, crowded onto the grass and along Lorne Street to welcome him home with the Stanley Cup. Children lifted homemade signs above their heads and families waited for a glimpse of the trophy most hockey players spend their lives chasing. When Stankoven finally raised the Cup over his head, the roar felt bigger than one championship. It was a hockey town watching one of its own come home with the prize he had dreamed about since he was a kid.

There was something wonderfully familiar about seeing him there. Now his name is engraved on the Stanley Cup, and his hockey home is nearly 4,000 km away in Raleigh, North Carolina.

For Kamloops fans who watched that August homecoming and wished they could see what comes next, there is a trip waiting on the other side of the continent: a Carolina Hurricanes home game, with Stankoven on the ice and a city worth spending a few extra days getting to know.

The rink may be the reason Stankoven is in Raleigh, but it’s not the only place he spends his time. Since joining the Hurricanes in March 2025, he has a list of favorite restaurants, neighborhoods and places to go when he is off the ice.

The Hurricanes forward recommends Prime BBQ for barbecue, Mulino Italian Kitchen downtown or Colletta in Fenton for Italian, and O-Ku for sushi. He also likes North Hills for its shops and restaurants.

Sports naturally figure into the list, too. Stankoven suggests catching a college game at UNC, Duke or North Carolina State, all within easy reach of Raleigh. Baseball fans can also head to Durham to see the Durham Bulls.

For travelers who have another day to spare, Wilmington is another of his picks, about two hours east of Raleigh. Visitors can tour Battleship North Carolina, walk the Wilmington Riverwalk or continue to Wrightsville Beach on the Atlantic coast.

The Carolina Hurricanes open their 2026–27 season at home on Sept. 29 against the Florida Panthers. Carolina will raise its Stanley Cup championship banner before puck drop at Lenovo Center in West Raleigh, several miles from downtown. Hurricanes fans, known as Caniacs, turn game day into a tailgate scene more reminiscent of college football than a typical NHL night. Coolers come out, local beer gets passed around and pickup games of roller hockey spring up before the doors open.

“Lenovo Center’s parking lots usually open three hours before Hurricanes games, and tailgating is allowed. I recommend arriving early to enjoy the parking lot atmosphere, instead of showing up just before the puck drops like at a downtown venue,” said Andrés Serra, head of operations at Optimise Travel.

After a home win, fans stay for the Storm Surge, when the team gathers at center ice for its signature celebration.

The arena does not sit in the middle of downtown, so this is not a weekend where you simply walk out of your hotel and into the game. The city is easier to navigate by neighborhood: West Raleigh for hockey and the North Carolina Museum of Art, downtown for restaurants and museums, and Boylan Heights or Historic Oakwood for a more local feel.

For visitors coming from Kamloops, the distance between the arena, downtown and Raleigh’s neighborhoods is a reason to stay longer. Spend the morning in a gallery or on an outdoor art trail, stop for barbecue or biscuits at lunch, then head to Lenovo Center early enough to catch the pregame atmosphere before puck drop.

“While the main focus will be on the game, the capital of North Carolina has an energy that’s perfect for visitors who also like the arts,” said Lonely Planet writer Caroline Eubanks.

The North Carolina Museum of Art fits neatly into game day because it is also in West Raleigh. General admission is free, and the museum includes more than 5,000 historic and modern works along with 164 acres of woodland trails and outdoor art.

Downtown, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences has four floors of exhibits and live animals, and general admission is free. Raleigh’s broader museum scene has earned the city the nickname “Smithsonian of the South.”

Then there is the food, which may be the easiest reason to stretch a hockey trip by another day. Raleigh has plenty of Michelin-recognized and James Beard-connected restaurants, but some of the best stops are more casual: whole-hog barbecue, neighborhood bakeries, food halls and breweries.

For a first taste of North Carolina, start with barbecue. Sam Jones BBQ is one of the names highlighted by the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau. For families or groups, Transfer Co. Food Hall solves the problem of agreeing on one menu. The hall occupies a 43,000-square-foot space in the Olde East neighborhood and includes everything from bagels and empanadas to burritos, beer, and Japanese-inspired fare.

For something with more of a Raleigh story, A Place at the Table is one of only about 60 pay-what-you-can restaurants in the One World Everybody Eats network. Eubanks suggests Poole’s Diner, St. Roch Fine Oysters + Bar and Ajja, where chef Cheetie Kumar draws on Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors. Before an evening game, Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing in Boylan Heights serves local beer from a patio overlooking the Raleigh skyline.

Where you stay depends on whether the game or the city matters more. Four Points by Sheraton Raleigh Arena and Home2 Suites by Hilton Raleigh West Lenovo Center put visitors close to the arena. Downtown hotels make restaurants and museums easier to reach, but you will need a car or rideshare for a 20-minute drive from downtown.

For a stay with more personality, The Longleaf Hotel occupies a renovated vintage motor lodge downtown, styled around its mid-century roots. Heights House, a restored pre-Civil War mansion in Boylan Heights, is another option for visitors who care more about neighborhood character than being close to the arena.

For Canadians, Raleigh-Durham International Airport currently has nonstop service from Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary, according to the Greater Raleigh CVB.

The Stanley Cup may have come to Kamloops for one August afternoon. Raleigh is where Stankoven gets to chase it again. For those not ready to cross the border, he comes closer to home on Oct. 20, when the Hurricanes play the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena.