Thomas Dundon's imminent takeover of the Carolina Hurricanes _ the sale from Peter Karmanos could be finalized as early as the end of this week _ will usher in a new era for the team, and without a doubt, a very different one.
For the first time since the franchise moved here in 1997, everything is on the table, from changing the logo and colors to the fan experience to how the building is managed.
Based on Dundon's friendship with Mark Cuban, expect the players (and their families) to be treated in ways this franchise has never before even considered, from how they travel to how they eat to how they train to how they recover.
Based on how he has run his businesses in the past, expect Dundon to personally evaluate every single aspect of the franchise, from hockey operations to ticket sales to marketing to concessions to game presentation to parking to broadcasting to merchandising to accounting. Given that history, expect him to spend money where he thinks it will make an impact and prune excess where he thinks it won't.
And remember that the NHL likes to do nice things for new owners, so while an outdoor game at Carter-Finley Stadium is probably going to remain a pipe dream until the Hurricanes have a higher national profile (or more ex-Blackhawks players), they might actually get to participate in one at some point. It's too soon to get another All-Star Game, but maybe the draft could return in the next few years. There are already rumors the Hurricanes could play in Finland next season.
