In an effort to maintain their home-ice advantage, the Carolina Hurricanes have implemented ticket sale restrictions for their second-round series against the New York Rangers. According to a disclaimer on Ticketmaster, ticket sales for Carolina home games will be limited to fans from North Carolina, South Carolina, and select parts of Virginia. This move is a repeat of the 2022 series between the two teams when similar restrictions were put in place for fans outside of those regions.

During the previous series, fans from outside of North Carolina, South Carolina, and southern parts of Virginia were notified of the sales restriction, which ultimately led to the Rangers claiming victory in seven games. Fans from outside these specified areas will likely need to turn to the secondary market for tickets, as orders made by non-residents will be canceled without notice and refunds given.

As of now, there are no ticket restrictions for Madison Square Garden, the Rangers' home arena in New York City. Being the higher-seeded team, the Rangers will have the advantage of hosting Games 1 and 2, as well as Games 5 and 7 if necessary.

While this move might come as a surprise to some, it is not an uncommon practice among NHL teams. The Carolina Hurricanes are following in the footsteps of other teams like the Nashville Predators, who recently restricted ticket sales to fans in the Nashville television viewing area during their first-round series against the Vancouver Canucks. Similarly, the Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Ottawa Senators have all implemented various ticket sales restrictions based on residency in previous seasons.

Meanwhile, in the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers have taken a different approach to address fan presence during their first-round series against the New York Knicks. Sixers ownership, along with Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, have purchased and distributed 2,000 tickets to first responders, healthcare professionals, and other Philadelphia-based organizations as a gesture of appreciation.

At present, the Carolina Hurricanes have not provided any comment regarding their decision to restrict ticket sales. As the second-round series progresses, it remains to be seen how these restrictions will impact the game atmosphere and overall fan experience.