Seeing The Canes in action will be a lot more expensive next year. Most season ticket packages will get a 10 percent price hike, and single game tickets will cost up to 66 percent more next year. Even the cheap seats (upper goal zone) will set Canes fans back $25 per ticket next year, up from $20 this year.

Apparently, The Canes decided to raise prices as a result of decreased attendance at games. Poor ticket sales and shrinking attendance also led to a decrease in NHL funding for The Canes (NHL revenue sharing is based on year-over-year increases in game attendance).

In order to ease the blow to fans' wallets, The Canes have introduced a new gift incentive program that rewards season ticket holders with prizes, based on the "point value" of the ticket package. Sample rewards? Buying a full-season seat in the upper goal zone (for $569.75) will earn you 4 points, which you can redeem for an autographed puck (signed by one randomly-chosen Canes player) or a Carolina Hurricanes watch. Tickets need to be purchased by June13, 2008 in order to qualify for the new rewards program.

No word yet on whether parking fees at the RBC Center will go up as well!