Lenovo, the Chinese tech company, has announced a new long-term stadium naming rights agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes franchise of North American ice hockey’s National Hockey League (NHL).

The 18,700-capacity Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina will be renamed the Lenovo Arena for the duration of the 10-year deal, which begins immediately and will run through the end of the 2033-34 NHL season.

Through the deal, Lenovo will also help to upgrade the arena in coming redevelopments through the application and integration of its proprietary technology.

The Hurricanes' first pre-season game will take place at the Lenovo Arena on October 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, in preparation for the team’s first regular season game on October 11 against the same opponents.

Lenovo replaces previous arena naming rights partner PNC, the financial services company, which had sponsored the venue from 2012 through the 2023-24 season.

Fork however confirmed that PNC will remain a sponsor of the franchise going forward despite relinquishing venue rights, adding: “As we transition to this new era, we are grateful for our longtime naming rights collaborator, PNC, who will continue to be a major partner of our organization.”

Lenovo has based one of its two global headquarters in North Carolina for over 16 years and operates several regional facilities in the area, a factor that has seen it sponsor a number of the region’s sports franchises including the Carolina Panthers (American football), North Carolina Courage (women’s soccer), and of course the Hurricanes.

Alongside ice hockey, the Lenovo Arena also hosts college basketball games from North Carolina State University’s men’s team, the Wolfpack, which plays in the top-tier NCAA Division I in the Atlantic Coast Conference.