All Star '11 Logo Coming Soon

The Carolina Hurricanes will reveal the 2011 NHL All-Star Game logo at a news conference in downtown Raleigh on Monday afternoon, according to the team's website.

Here's the complete press release with details of the event:

Peter Karmanos Jr., CEO/Owner/Governor of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, will hold a news conference on Monday, July 26, at RBC Plaza in downtown Raleigh. During the news conference, Mr. Karmanos will reveal the logo for the 2011 NHL All-Star Game, which will be held on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011, at the RBC Center, and will discuss the ongoing preparations for the event.

WHAT: News conference concerning the NHL All-Star Game logo
WHEN: Monday, July 26, 2010, 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Plaza Condos Amenities Level (23rd floor), RBC Plaza, 301 Fayetteville St., Raleigh
WHO: Hurricanes Owner/CEO/Governor Peter Karmanos Jr., Hurricanes President/General Manager Jim Rutherford, President of the Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau Dennis Edwards, Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce President Harvey Schmitt, President and CEO of Highwoods Properties Ed Fritsch (developer of RBC Plaza)

Obviously, you can count on seeing the new logo here on Icethetics as soon as it's available on the web. The unveiling will pave the way for an upcoming mini logo tournament I'm putting together featuring past all-star logos!

Raleigh Gets All-Stars in 2011

The Carolina Hurricanes will host the next NHL All-Star Weekend, January 29-30, 2011 in Raleigh, N.C., which will include the 58th NHL All-Star Game.

The NHL made the announcement today in front of fans outside the RBC Center, where the event will be held. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the Hurricanes beat out 14 other team applications but didn't say which clubs applied.

Many assumed the league would award the big event to the Phoenix Coyotes, who might've benefited from the extra attention and financial help the NHL biggest stars would've attracted. I'm going out on a big limb here, but is it a subtle sign the league is considering allowing the franchise to find a new home?

The Hurricanes have never hosted an NHL All-Star Game since moving to Raleigh. The Hartford Whalers had it in 1986. This will mark the third straight time an Eastern Conference team will play host to the All-Stars.

There was no game this year because of the Olympics, but Montreal had it in 2009 and Atlanta in 2008. The Canes will be the fourth Southeast Division team to have the All-Stars since 1999 when Tampa hosted. The Panthers did it in 2003.

So let the concept art begin! What will the All-Star jerseys look like? How about the All-Star logo? Who will play in the most-watched exhibition game of the season? And most importantly, what do you think of the host selection? Did the league make the right call?