Hurricanes' run bringing back meaningful business

Business is booming for Tom Dundon and the Carolina Hurricanes.

Thanks to their surprise run to the Eastern Conference Final, where they’ll meet the Boston Bruins, the franchise has apparently attracted $3.6 million in new ticket business for the upcoming season, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic shared Tuesday.

I’m no math major, but I believe that represents about a 600 percent increase from the $500K total value the Hurricanes had sold at this time last year.

Dang.

While that will look mighty good on the sales force’s powerpoint presentation this summer, it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that the Hurricanes are managing to fill more seats in advance. Public interest sags when smaller-market teams fail to make the postseason (let alone fail to make meaningful inroads) for prolonged stretches — and in the case of the Hurricanes, this was a drought that lasted an entire decade.

The only real remedy for it is the real tangible success the franchise is once again having.

Still, when speaking to the success of the Hurricanes, you can’t help but think about Dundon’s horribly misguided investment into the now-defunct Alliance of American Football.

If one run has secured just $3 million in added ticket sales, plus whatever the Hurricanes are making at the gate this spring and on “Jerks” tees, how long will it take to recoup the $70 million he sunk into his failed foray into football?

Hmm, maybe not that long.

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