The most important day in Carolina Hurricanes history is May 6, 1997, when the Hartford Whalers announced their move to Raleigh, North Carolina. Adam Gold looks back at how it all happened, the growing pains of turning Raleigh into a hockey town, and what we learned along the way. A production of 99.9 The Fan and Capitol Broadcasting Company.

On March 26th, 1997, the morning after the Hartford Whalers lost to the Colorado Avalanche at the Hartford Civic Center, news broke that the Whalers were on the move. Owner Peter Karmanos had decided that Hartford, CT was no longer viable, economically. However, it would be six weeks before Raleigh, NC was announced as the new home. In Episode 1 of a limited run series, we discuss the lead up and announcement that the Whalers were on the move.

Before we can examine where the franchise was headed, let's take a look back at where they were. What was Hartford like? The market? The fans? The unique challenges that made succeeding more difficult.

After announcing their move to Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes spent the next two seasons in Greensboro. It was a situation that was not conducive to winning or growing the game in a brand new community.

Remember the night the Hurricanes almost killed the mascot? Well, it happened during the preseason when they tried to debut "Stormy". We'll tell that story and talk about the return of one of the best uniforms in NHL history.

Raleigh getting the Carolina Hurricanes was a product of hard work, collaboration, foresight and the salesmanship of Steve Stroud -- and others. A look at how the Capital City beat out the competition for the NHL. And, something you probably never knew about Reynolds Coliseum.

Lost in the celebration of the 2006 Stanley Cup, the 2002 team laid the foundation for that title. From key trades to stunning wins along the way, the Hurricanes shocked the hockey world in reaching the Stanley Cup finals just two years after moving into their new building.

The 2002 run to the Cup finals featured a stunning series win over Toronto. Then they put a scare into the Detroit Red Wings, who had almost a dozen Hall of Famers.