Commissioner vows NHL will bring big events back to Raleigh — after renovation, development work

RALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes hosted Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night at Lenovo Center.

And NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman promised before the game that the league will bring marquee events to the market in the future. 

“Renovations done and development’s done, we’ll be back with other things,” Bettman said Tuesday before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Lenovo Center is in the midst of a $300-million renovation and enhancement project. The first phase included additional suites on the arena level, a multipurpose space for meetings and events and a refresh of the third-level concourse, including a popular view bar. The second phase is set to begin this summer and includes replacement of all the seats in the lower bowl. The renovation is expected to be completed by 2028.

That project is backed by public tax dollars collected from hotel stays and prepared food and beverages, the allocation of which had to be approved by Raleigh and Wake County. As part of a complex agreement to extend the Hurricanes’ lease, owner Tom Dundon agreed to privately develop up to 80 acres of land around the Lenovo Center.

As part of that agreement, the Hurricanes will "use best efforts" to host the NHL All-Star Game within three years of the completed renovation and a NHL Stadium Series game within five years of the lease extension. The NHL committed to these obligations, the authority's lease negotiator Dan Barrett and then-Hurricanes GM Don Waddell at the time.

That development is planned to take decades.

Work could start on that at the end of NC State’s 2026 football season. NC State plays men’s basketball at Lenovo Center and its football stadium sits next door to the arena.

“We’re about to announce that we’re going to build a big office building on that property,” Dundon told The Oregonian newspaper last month.

Lenovo is reportedly considering moving its headquarters to the site. Lenovo’s lease at its current Development Drive campus in Morrisville expires in 2027.

“We are continuously evaluating our real estate portfolio and are assessing all options in the market, including our current site,” the company said in an emailed response to WRAL. “Because we are still evaluating, we will not be commenting further until a decision has been made and a lease has been signed.”

An anchor tenant for the development could lead to greater collaboration on the overall design of the project and lead others to commit to the project.

Bettman praised Dundon for his work with the franchise during his pre-Game 1 press conference.

Dundon purchased a majority stake in the team in 2018, hired coach Rod Brind’Amour a few months later and the team has reached the playoffs every season since, including four trips to the Eastern Conference Final and, now, finally a Stanley Cup Final appearance.

“Tom Dundon has been an extraordinary owner in terms of what he’s brought to the operation of this franchise on and off the ice,” Bettman said. “Obviously, his work in terms of creating a competitive and successful team is the reason we’re here. This team is more part of the community than it’s ever been.”

Bettman also noted support from the business community, government and other authorities, including the Centennial Authority, which oversees the Lenovo Center.

Dundon recently led a group that purchased the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, where he has been under scrutiny for cost-cutting measures – some very real and some perceived. 

“Tom may not always be – because we’re hearing this out of a different market — the most conventional owner, but nobody can argue with his commitment to the sport, to the community and to making the team successful for the benefit of the community and that fans,” Bettman said. “He’s been great for us all the way.”