The first tailgater arrived at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, at 10:30 a.m. on Monday.
"By noon, I saw about 20 or 30 tents set up," Carolina Hurricanes GM and president Don Waddell said.
When the gates opened for an 8 p.m. puck drop? You can only imagine the level of hype. And by the time the 12,000 fans got to their seats, ready to cheer on the Canes in their first-round series against the Nashville Predators, it was absolute pandemonium.
"When the guys came onto the ice for warm-ups, that's when it got insanely crazy," said season-ticket holder Patty Jasper who, along with her husband, once put together a 530-consecutive-game attendance streak.