from Ben Pope of the News & Observer,

A crowd of about 4,000 – up 40 percent from last year – enjoyed family activities and watched a prospects scrimmage at the Carolina Hurricanes’ Summerfest event earlier this month.

“I wish I could have a Summerfest every other week,” said team president Don Waddell.

The Hurricanes have since entered a period of one or two months where their name won’t be spoken much, but that hasn’t diluted ticket sales, which have been surging throughout the offseason in spite of the team’s league-worst attendance last season.

Compared to this time last year, new season-ticket package sales are up about 40 percent and overall ticket sales revenue is up about 60 percent, Waddell estimated on Monday.

Waddell also said the team’s existing season-ticket member (STM) renewal rate stands at 90.15 percent. Last summer, the team achieved an 87 percent renewal rate but didn’t do so until September, and only about 72 percent renewed the previous summer.

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