Prior to every Carolina Hurricanes hockey game, a statewide celebrity enthusiastically cranks a warning siren to a high-pitched wail while beams of red light rapidly flicker across every corner of the Lenovo Center arena. A voice then booms over the PA system encouraging fans to get on their feet while the words “MAKE SOME NOISE” pulse emphatically on the big screen hanging in the center of the arena. Finally, the sound of an electric guitar playing the opening chords to the Scorpions song “Rock You Like a Hurricane” pours from the speakers, and the crowd erupts with riotous cheers as the Canes emerge from the locker room and skate onto the ice.

With all the pregame and in-game fanfare, it’s no wonder Carolina Hurricanes fans often boast that the Lenovo Center is one of the liveliest and loudest arenas in the National Hockey League. But there is much more than meets the eye — or the ear — when it comes to the Lenovo Center’s design and the psychological impact it has on visiting teams.

Two NC State faculty members recently lent their expertise to discuss whether crowd noise at the Hurricanes’ home arena might give them an edge in the ongoing Stanley Cup Final series against the Las Vegas Golden Knights. 

Erica Unger, a professor of the practice in the College of Design, specializes in environmental control systems, a branch of architecture that deals with building science. In this field, she explores how sound, lighting, heating, water, fire safety and other factors affect people’s experiences in indoor spaces.

Yingchen He, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology’s Human Factors and Applied Cognition Program, is an expert in human factors psychology, a field at the intersection of psychology and engineering with the primary goal of designing systems that fit human capabilities.

What Makes the Lenovo Center So Loud?

Understanding what makes the Lenovo Center such a noisy venue begins with acoustics, which are affected by factors like sound sources, the room volume and the reflecting surfaces within a space. The primary sound sources in the Lenovo Center are crowd noise as well as the announcements, music and sound effects that play through the PA system. All the sound in the arena is aimed over the top of the seats fans sit in, toward the curved ceiling.

“The elements of the architecture that affect the sound in the Lenovo center are the shape and size of the space,” Unger explained. “The large space and the continuous volume of the arena create long reverberation times. This means that any sound reflecting off of the surfaces is going to travel around the space for a long time, creating a louder background noise level.”

The arena is loudest for the players, since hard surfaces like the ice flooring and the ribbon screen that encircles the arena don’t absorb sound energy. Sound also bounces off the glass in front of the luxury suites.

“Basically, the noise of the speakers and crowd, coupled with the hardness of the ice, is driving the sound level in the Lenovo center during Canes games,” Unger said.

How Do Sights and Sounds Affect the Game?

With fans — and sound — bouncing off the walls, the players on the ice face many potential distractions. From a player’s perspective, He notes that there are a multitude of visual and auditory cues that can impair focus for members of the visiting team.

“When an opposing team is not familiar with the arena setup, those cues can be distracting and reduce their accuracy or make them slower to react,” He said. “Those are obviously very important for winning a game, and this could give an advantage to our home team.”

When considering all of the psychological factors of a hockey game, He notes that sights and sounds can also enhance the fan experience.

“When people see flashing lights or videos playing on the big screen, it naturally captures attention because our visual system really hones in on flashing lights and high-contrast imagery,” He said. “As for sound, it plays a warning role in our perception. If someone bangs on a door, it triggers the startle reflex, which is when your attention is directed to a sound source. When the siren sounds in the arena, it captures the audience’s attention and contributes to a very engaging experience.”

Why Does the Game Feel More Engaging in Person Than on TV?

If you’re one of the lucky Hurricanes fans who’s been able to attend the team’s playoff games in person, you have a multisensory advantage over those watching on TV. People who are at the game can decide where they want to look instead of only seeing what cameras are showing them. In-person fans also see and hear things from multiple sources and angles.

“When you’re at home, you lose the spatial aspect of where sound is coming from,” He said. “Instead of all the sounds of the game, you’re hearing your family or friends at home. Everything is just coming from this little box in front of you, and a director is dictating what you see and hear.”

Fans watching at home get a more passive experience overall — but for some, that can be preferable.

“Some people could feel that the at-home experience is better for them because they might find being at the big game overwhelming and distracting, especially if a person has sensory loss,” He said. “The noise could be distracting to them if they are trying really hard to listen to the commentary, or if maybe there is a distracting glare. So it is an individual choice.”

Should I Wear Ear Protection at Games? 

Unger and He both encourage fans to “take warning” about potential risks for their hearing at hockey games, where prolonged crowd noise can be harmful. Unger estimates that the base level of sound during a Hurricanes game at the Lenovo Center is 80-85 decibels, which is already within the range where ear protection is recommended. 

At 85 decibels, a person will experience some long-term hearing damage after a duration of 8 hours of continuous exposure. When noise levels reach 100 decibels, a person will experience damage after 15 minutes of continuous exposure, and at 110 decibels, 90 seconds is all it takes for your hearing to suffer long-term damage.

Unger recommends taking breaks from the noise to let your ears recover. She also suggests wearing earplugs, which can bring the noise level down by as much as 30 decibels. Fans can also double up with earmuffs on top of their earplugs.
“If I go to a game, I am going to be wearing my earplugs,” Unger said. “But I want people to know that you also cannot cheer loud enough at these games. It’s so exciting, and it’s a big deal for all of us to get together and wear red. Go Canes!”