Carolina Hurricanes Retire Beer Skates

For now, at least.

The buzz around beer glasses designed like hockey skates picked up over the weekend when the Hurricanes launched them during Game 1 of their playoff series against the Flyers. What they didn’t see coming was just how popular these mugs would become. By the second period, they were completely sold out.

Adam Hoffman, the Vice President of Food and Beverage at the Lenovo Center, mentioned to ESPN that the team won’t restock these promotional items for the playoffs because fulfilling another order has proven difficult. He said, “We really thought we had bought enough, but then this thing blew up. Fans went crazy for this, which is great. We’re happy that we created something that they wanted. I don’t want to say they weren’t prepared to buy this much, but clearly, they didn’t expect it would be this popular. It’s really great.”

The Hurricanes aren’t the only team trying to get their fans excited. Other NHL franchises have also rolled out special items for the playoffs. For example, the Sabers brought back the Beer Sabers after they sold out earlier in the season, and the Mammoth debuted the Tusk Mug last month.

The Beer Skate mug, which holds about 28 ounces, was priced at $19 if purchased alone. If someone opted to buy it filled, the total came to $12, including the drink. Local news reported that during the Hurricanes’ Game 1 victory, 4,687 beer skates were sold. The rush began even before the game when 300 were picked up at the pregame festivities at Fan Plaza.

Looking toward the future, Hoffman hinted that the beer skates might make a comeback. “We have already started talking about it,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen or not, but it could happen again. I think that’s probably the best way to go about it.”