The Carolina Hurricanes are an American professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They play in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Hockey League (NHL). The team joined the NHL in 1979 as an expansion team as the Hartford Whalers, but moved to Raleigh, North Carolina in 1997. The Hurricanes won their first Stanley Cup championship in 2006. Having first played at the Greensboro Coliseum, the Hurricanes have played their home games at the PNC Arena, which was first named the Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena, since 1999. The Hurricanes are owned by Peter Karmanos, Jr. and Ron Francis is their general manager.