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Carolina Hurricanes mascot Stormy
Sports mascots have a number of duties they’re expected to perform while entertaining fans, but sharing an eloquent stance on growing socioeconomic issues impacting supporters of the opposing team is not typically something they tackle. However, that’s the route Stormy, the anthropomorphic pig who does his thing for the Hurricanes, opted to go when they played the Canucks.
The Carolina Hurricanes played their inaugural season in 1997 in the wake of the death of the Hartford Whalers, a campaign that also marked the introduction of Stormy the Ice Hog, who has served as their mascot for close to three decades.
Stormy’s debut did not go as planned, as the man who donned the suit for his first-ever appearance at an exhibition game had to be taken to the hospital after suffering a seizure while hiding inside a Zamboni just ahead of the grand reveal.
Things thankfully went a bit smoother from that point, and Stormy is a beloved staple at Hurricanes games who routinely engages in the various shenanigans that mascots harness to entertain fans who attend a sporting event in person.
It’s safe to assume most people who attended the team’s showdown with the Canucks on Thursday didn’t expect Stormy to contribute to the discourse surrounding the housing crisis the city of Vancouver has been grappling with in recent years, but that’s exactly what they got.
Carolina Hurricanes mascot Stormy expressed solidarity with Vancouver’s working class while sharing his thoughts on the city’s housing issues
Over the summer, The New York Times referred to Vancouver as “North America’s least affordable urban area” in an article concerning a new development with the potential to tackle the rising price of housing in the capital of British Columbia.
The issue is reflective of a trend that’s being felt across all of Canada, but Vancouver has been hit especially hard by real estate prices that have firmly outpaced an increase in wages, which has made it harder to rent and buy in an area where foreign investors have helped exacerbate the issues.
It’s a very hot topic of discussion ahead of the provincial election that will be held in British Columbia on October 24th, as cost of living and housing affordability are among the most important issues voters are focusing on before they head to the polls.
Stormy opted to chime in when the Hurricanes hosted the Canucks on Thursday night, and Stormy went out of his way to propose some solutions in a message that was shared on the Jumbotron midway through the first period.
Carolina hurricanes mascot Stormy with a message of solidarity to Vancouver’s working class https://t.co/Stxrz6ad2D
— k.d. madigan (@riotsurvivor) October 9, 2026
The statement reads:
Stormy not sophisticated ice hog, but even Stormy know:
The allowance of foreign investors in Metro Vancouver must not only be met with steep annual levies if properties are left unattended, alongside British Columbia’s 20% foreign purchase surcharge, but the 2027 expiration of the federal foregin buyer ban represents a fulcrum point in the real estate market that could have generational ramifications if not reenacted.
Also, oink.
The Canucks left the Lenovo Center after being subjected to a 7-2 beatdown, but at least their fans can take a little bit of solace in knowing they have an ally in Carolina’s mascot.