Hard to come up with any other description for the status of Raleigh’s only top-level professional sports team. On Friday night, Carolina Hurricanes president Don Waddell told the press that team owner Peter Karmanos, Jr was now not working to sell the the franchise. However, Waddell also said that:
“If someone came along and wanted to buy it, I’m sure we’d talk about it but we’re not actively out there trying to find investors. If someone calls and says, ‘Hey, I want to buy the team,’ we’re taking that call.”
So where’s this leave the Canes? Karmanos is 73, remarried, and apparently has a strained relationship with his kids from his first marriage. The plan it would seem ultimately isn’t to keep the team in the family. Karmanos’ attempts to date to find a buyer on his terms has proved to be unsuccessful. Despite both Karmanos and the NHL’s desire to see the team remain in Raleigh, the Hurricanes were last in the league in attendance last season and are at the bottom again so far this year. And while Karmanos may like the Triangle, he isn’t completely willing to put his money where his mouth is, as Hurricane’s is at or only slight above the minimum amount NHL teams are required to spend on player salary. Sound like limbo to me.