The Carolina Hurricanes wasted no time making their presence known this season, winning five straight games to start off the year. Their 5-0-0 record is good for the best start in franchise history, better than the 2005-2006 team who would go on to win the first and only Stanley Cup in the franchise’s history. Head Coach Rod Brind’amour is also the fastest head coach to 50 wins in NHL history. The former captain was the clear choice for Hurricanes President and General Manager, Don Waddell.
“Rod is the greatest leader in the history of this franchise, and has earned the opportunity to take charge of our locker room,” said Waddell. “We spoke to a number of candidates for this position, but our conversations with staff and players consistently returned to the same person. Rod’s fresh ideas, ability to motivate and understanding of what it takes to bring a championship to Raleigh will help our young team take the next step toward competing to bring the Cup back to North Carolina,” according to NHL.com.
The Hurricanes are riding a wave of momentum from last season, where they made it to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since that same season when they won the title. This was also Brind’amour’s first season as the head coach of the Hurricanes, before having served as an assistant coach for seven seasons.
“I think Brind’amour served as a huge role model as well as coach because of his success when he played for the Canes in the past, especially in 2006 when they won the cup. He reminds them that the Canes are a winning team and they can win again if they work hard enough as a team and pick up some more offensive players,” said Derek Geiger, senior.
The Hurricanes boast a strong roster, headlined by playmakers such as Sebastian Aho, center/left wing and Jordan Staal, centerman. Aho was drafted in the second round, 35th overall in the 2015 NHL draft and has since made a big impact on the Hurricanes, scoring 30 goals through 82 games in the 2018-2019 season. Staal has two goals and three assists for the Hurricanes in the 2019-20 season.
“One of the standout players on the Canes is definitely Andrei Svechnikov because not only is he a second pick in the draft, but he is a lethal scorer who can also set up plays that can lead to goals. Another standout player is Jordan Staal, because he has so much experience in the NHL versus his teammates. He’s won a cup with the Penguins and has played many of the game’s greatest and I think he’s become a veteran on the Canes that helps the younger players stay aligned with their goals in the NHL,” said Geiger.
Veterans, rookies and coaches alike look to help the Hurricanes stay winning in the 2019 season. They look to ride the momentum from their playoff run last year and their blazing start through this year’s regular season and bring another Stanley Cup back to Raleigh.
