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Hurricanes’ good-luck pig featured in fan’s tattoo

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2019 is the Year of the Pig and behind unofficial mascot Hamilton the Pig, the Hurricanes hope it's their year to win a Stanley Cup.

The Carolina Hurricanes have made plenty of memories this season for their fans — supporters who went a decade without seeing them in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

From the post-win “Storm Surges” to the “Bunch of Jerks,” however this season ends up, the Hurricanes have provided the hockey world with plenty of fun.

The latest addition to the Hurricanes’ season of fun is Hamilton the Pig, a 90-pound potbelly -- not named after Dougie -- whose good-luck presence inside and outside PNC Arena has led the team to a 5-0 record this postseason.

“He’s like this little internet sensation that caught on,” said Hamilton’s owner Kyle Eckenrode told the AP. “People just love it when we bring him out. It’s really crazy to watch it all unfold.”

One of those people who embraced the good-luck charm was Leah Adams, a Hurricanes fan who began following them after moving to Raleigh as a kid. During Game 7 of the Hurricanes’ Round 1 series against the Washington Capitals, she Tweeted that if Carolina came back to win that game she would “get a tattoo of a pig.”

That tattoo ended up being one of Hamilton.

“I was pretty caught up in the insanity of the playoffs and felt like doing something wild myself,” Adams told Pro Hockey Talk on Monday.

Last week Adams followed through on her promise and went to Tried and True tattoo in Greensboro, North Carolina to get inked by artist Sarah Davis.

Should the Hurricanes make a comeback against the Boston Bruins and win the Stanley Cup, Adams said that she has been contemplating some additions to the tattoo.

Adams has yet to meet Hamilton the Pig, but that might change Tuesday night ahead of Game 3 (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN; live stream) where she’ll be in attendance. She’s been in touch with Eckenrode about meeting up and hopes that Hamilton’s lucky streak continues with the Hurricanes’ next two games at home.

The choice of featuring Hamilton over the Hurricanes’ mascot, Stormy, was an easy one.

“Hamilton is pretty specific to this postseason,” Adams said. “I figured this would be a good way to remember this year for the Canes. We were barely expecting to make the playoffs, let alone make it this far. No matter how the [Eastern Conference Final] pans out, it’s still amazing.”

MORE: Why Hurricanes have embraced ‘bunch of jerks’ moniker

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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.