Hurricanes’ Aho & Brind’Amour Discuss Stanley Cup Parade’s Electric Environment – The Hockey Writers – Carolina Hurricanes

If people thought the Lenovo Center was loud, that was nothing compared to the Stanley Cup Parade for the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, June 20. It also helps that an estimated 150,000 strong came out to celebrate the 2026 Stanley Cup Champions. Between the parade and the rally, the media had a chance to talk to some players and head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Thankfully for The Hockey Writers, we got the opportunity to ask some questions.

Sebastian Aho

One of the guys who’s been fighting for this moment since being drafted by the Hurricanes is Sebastian Aho. After being drafted 35th overall in 2015, all “Sebass” wanted to do was bring a title to Raleigh. After a decade, he has accomplished it. It’s been a whirlwind of a week for the players, the staff, and their families with all of the late-night celebrations, Cup tours, golf outings, and now a parade.

Initially, the possible crowd numbers were going to be around 100,000. Well, that was not the case, as it was determined it was closer to 150,000. Honestly, it felt closer to 200,000 with how packed the route was, along with the rally area.

When asked about how huge the crowd was and just soaking it all in, Aho stated, “Well, to be quite honest, I did not (expect this). I mean, Jordo [Jordan Staal] was saying how awesome it was going to be. I knew it was going to be awesome, but like this, something else. I guess it’s my bad not taking his word because he’s always right. Always listen to el jefe, Jordan Staal.”

It was awesome to see during the parade how deep the crowds were and where they were. From 10 to 15 rows deep on the sidewalks to packing out parking decks and the rally area, there was a sea of red. The Caniacs came out in droves and showed that Raleigh is a certified hockey city.

Aho knows how hockey crazy the fanbase is, but this was on another level, and even Staal was shocked by how big it was. After hearing from other Canes staff, everyone was blown away by the turnout. One thing is for sure, though: always listen to your Captain.

Rod Brind’Amour

During the rally, the parade, and even in the media scrum between it all, Brind’Amour had a presence around him as a Stanley Cup champion player and now a coach. He’s always had that gravitas about him, but on a day like this, everyone wanted to hear his thoughts on everything so far during the celebration.

It’s been a fun week for everyone, especially the Hurricanes staff, players, and anyone else affiliated with the team. The Hurricanes won on Sunday, June 14, and now, six days later, it’s the biggest event in Raleigh history.

When asked about the Caniacs coming out to celebrate the team, Brind’Amour said, “So rewarding. This is one thing about social media, that I know I’m not a fan of, but that’s all I’ve been doing for three days, is watching social media and watching my boy go around and celebrate. I love that we can have those memories forever. That’s what’s supposed to happen.”

He continued, “Then, to see this, I’m going to need some time to bring all of this in because this is icing on the cake right here. To see how happy people were for us, we really did a great thing here. I’m really proud of it.”

Back in 2006, the team celebrated in the parking lot of, at the time, RBC Center. Now, fast-forward 20 years, and there are 150,000-plus fans packing downtown Raleigh for the biggest part in city history. It is not lost on this team how much they’re loved in Raleigh. Even then, the stoic Brind’Amour needs a few days to soak it all in.

Brind’Amour is always talking about stacking memories, especially this season. As the journey continued, more and more memories were created by the 2025-26 team. Following up on the previous answer, Brind’Amour stated about stacking memories, especially from the parade. “Life is about that. These guys have given me so much. I mean, the journey has been incredible. But now, like I said, have this on top of it, and to see the genuine joy that we’ve brought to a lot of people, that’s really special.”

When it comes down to it, the Caniacs love the Hurricanes, and the Hurricanes appreciate them right back. It’s a relationship that will be strong forever, especially after the day it was on Saturday in downtown Raleigh. These are memories that will last forever. It will be a lot of core memories for the team, players, fans, and everyone who was there that day, even those watching from home.

If someone asks you where you were on June 20, you will be taken back to that day and the celebration that was for the 2026 Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes.