Canes fan gets two free tattoos after playoff comeback bets
A Raleigh fan turned two playoff posts into free ink at Cleopatra Ink after the Hurricanes’ wild Game 2 and Game 3 comebacks.
Bryson Karbley turned two playoff posts into permanent ink at Cleopatra Ink in Raleigh after the Carolina Hurricanes ripped off back-to-back comeback bids in the Stanley Cup Final. The fan, who posts as @NotDaveCanales, left with a warning-flag tattoo and a Stormy tattoo, both done free by artists who were Caniacs themselves.
Karbley first staked his skin on Game 2, posting on X that if the Hurricanes scored two goals to tie the third period, he would get a warning-flag tattoo. Carolina did exactly that on June 5, 2026, erasing a 2-0 deficit and beating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in overtime at Lenovo Center. Seth Jarvis finished the rally 3:56 into overtime, and Karbley kept his word.
He doubled down in Game 3 with another public promise: if the Hurricanes scored four goals in the third period to tie it, he would get a Stormy tattoo. Carolina came all the way back from a 4-0 hole two nights later, scoring four unanswered goals to force overtime. NHL.com said the Hurricanes scored three times in 39 seconds during the surge, but the Golden Knights escaped with a 5-4 win when Shea Theodore scored 5:38 into the second overtime.
The tattoo bets landed because they were tied to two of the most dramatic moments in a Stanley Cup Final that had Raleigh-area fans buzzing. This was Carolina’s first appearance in the Cup Final in two decades, and the series was tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 at Lenovo Center. Karbley’s willingness to follow through, and the shop’s decision to take the work on free of charge, made the story feel like more than a social-media stunt. It was a snapshot of how deeply the playoff run had seeped into Wake County life.
That intensity showed up everywhere around the building, from official Hurricanes watch parties at Lenovo Center’s South Plaza to the viral fan post that later earned Karbley two tickets to Game 5 in Raleigh. For a city riding a rare Final run, the tattoos were a bright, local marker of how quickly playoff hockey had become part of everyday conversation.
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