A 6-hour hockey game? Here are 10 other things you could have done in that time
Between 8:10 p.m. and 1:54 a.m. Thursday night (and Friday morning), the Carolina Hurricanes were playing hard conference finals hockey, amid intermissions and commercial breaks. The rest of us were watching the action, cheering for our hometown team — or maybe eating dinner, snoozing or one of a million other things.
The Canes eventually fell to the Florida Panthers 3-2 in a quadruple-overtime Game 1 spectacle at PNC Arena in the wee hours of Friday morning. The five-hour and 44-minute game — with two hours, 19 minutes and 47.3 seconds of playing time — is now the longest playoff NHL game in franchise history. It was the sixth-longest game in the 106-year history of the NHL.
Remarkably, the building was still about two-thirds full at the end. Fans on the sides of the lower bowl stood for all 3.9 overtimes, as did many on the ends and in the upper bowl. Bravo.
But that’s a long time. Even when you’re having a blast, it’s a long time.
So The News & Observer staff came up with other 10 things you could have done during the nearly six-hour game time.
Fly non-stop from RDU to Los Angeles International Airport.
Run a full marathon. Then a half marathon.
Visit the DMV ten times. (Average wait time Friday morning was 35 minutes in Raleigh.)
Take the AP Environmental Science exam twice.
Binge Ted Lasso (with some leftover time for snack breaks).
Cook a 30-pound turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.
Sew two reversible bucket hats (possibly three if you’re an experienced sewer).
Drive from Raleigh to Carolina Beach, pick up a dozen Britt’s Donuts and drive back.
Play 18 holes of golf. Then another nine.
Assemble an Ikea dining room table and chairs set.
But even with all those other options, we’re betting fans wouldn’t trade their Game 1 experience. Except maybe for the outcome.
Programming note: The Canes play Game 2 Saturday night at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, start time is 8 p.m. Have your coffee ready.
This story was originally published May 19, 2023 at 4:27 PM with the headline "A 6-hour hockey game? Here are 10 other things you could have done in that time."
