Carolina Hurricanes

“Ami was a key member of the team that brought the Hurricanes from virtually unknown in the local market to household name, as well as, their marketing, communications and creative to the top of the NHL and professional sports.

Howard Sadel, Director of Marketing, Carolina Hurricanes


Leading transformational change is my super power and what I am often recognized for.  As a former NCAA Division 1 athlete, I apply that same competitive spirit to all that I do professionally, and across the course of my career, I have succeeded in roles that require change in order to achieve business objectives and meet user expectations given an ever-changing landscape. Working for the Carolina Hurricanes in their inaugural season, meant I was tasked with selling NHL ice hockey in the south, in ACC College Basketball mecca, which was completely uncharted territory,  The sport was virtually unknown and the audience non-existent. It wasn’t just about well-designed print collateral & digital properties, it was important to foster the same enthusiasm for athleticism and team spirit this community was accustomed to.

I designed new community ‘experiences’ and promotional campaigns, many that are still in place today. I established engaging community programs to introduce ice hockey, many of which are still in place today (2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the NHL Club), such as Caniacs, Caniac Carnival, Canes Cool Bars, and the Kids n Community Foundation. I was responsible for naming and designing the hockey club’s mascot, and developing the Storm Squad program, now widely recognized with the local audience. I developed key revenue generating presentations such as the $80 million naming rights pitch.  As a founding member of the Club’s design & marketing team, I saw it more than double in size and grow to manage all the marketing, promotions, web and print design collateral for the Hockey Club and Entertainment and Sports Arena.

Client

Carolina Hurricanes

Date

February 2013, December 2013








Inaugural game in Greensboro

Inagural game in Greensboro, NC 📸 Robert Willett/News & Observer

Stanley Cup Champions

Stanley Cup Champions in 2006 📸 Jim McIsaac/Getty Images