Catching up...

Well, I decided to take a week off from the blog and it turned into a month...go figure.

Fortunately not a whole lot going on in the meantime. Here's some late summer house cleaning as we get ready to head into training camp. September cannot get here fast enough.

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Jeff O'Neal invited to camp. Former Hurricane Jeff O'Neal, who "retired" at the end of the '06/07 season after two somewhat lackluster campaigns in Toronto, has been offered an invitation to attend the Canes training camp. At the moment, no contract has been offered, but conventional wisdom is that if O'Neal shows flashes of his once immense potential, he could be offered a two-way contract between Carolina and Albany. Always a lightning rod during his previous stint with Carolina/Hartford (as demonstrated by the comments section over at Lord Stanley's Blog), O'Neal always had immense talent coupled with sometimes questionable work habits. He was Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford's first ever first round draft pick (Hartford Whalers - 1994) and currently ranks third in franchise history in points (416), fourth in games played (673) and goals (198) and fifth in fifth in assists (218). He posted 41 goals for the Hurricanes in 2000-2001, a number that has been topped only once since (Eric Staal - 45 - 2005/2006). O'Neal was traded to the Maple Leafs in August 2005, not long after the death of his brother - a traumatic event that led Jeff to consider retiring back then. His two seasons with the Maple Leafs were largely uninspiring. During his Hurricanes tenure, O'Neal seemed to enjoy the local nightlife a bit more than he did practice, leading to several run-ins with then head coach Paul Maurice (who, ironically, was also his coach in Toronto). But Jeff was a always talented player, whose apparent battles with a few personal demons sometimes affected his performance on the ice (or so the story goes). All in all this seems like a no-lose situation for the Canes. They invite him to camp without a contract and see if his skills are still there, and his head is in the right place. If so, they sign him for depth. If not, no harm done, and you've done right by giving a former player a shot.

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- Lord Stanley's All-Time Hurricanes. All summer Luke DeCock of the News & Observer has been opening up the discussion every Monday on his Lord Stanley's Blog to topics suggested by readers. It has been incredibly successful based on the number of contributions/comments. Recently the topic was selecting an All-Hurricanes team based on the franchise's history in NC (all-time great Whalers were excluded). Here's what the readers came up with:


First Team:

C Ron Francis
LW Sami Kapanen
RW Erik Cole
D Glen Wesley
D Aaron Ward
G Arturs Irbe

Second Team:

C Rod Brind'Amour
LW Ray Whitney
RW Jeff O'Neill
D Sean Hill
D Bret Hedican
G Cam Ward

Honorable Mention: Kevin Dineen, Martin Gelinas, Sergei Samsonov, Ray Sheppard, Eric Staal, Niclas Wallin, Justin Williams

Pretty tough crowd putting Eric Staal on the honorable mention (though obviously Francis and Brind A'mour are tough competition if you are selecting by position) and Cam Ward on the second team with a Con Smythe (but I guess if you go by overall career so far, Irbe is more solid than Ward, who is still growing into an everyday goal tender). Overall I think the second team could definitely give the first team a run for it's money. This week's debate/topic is "What Made You A Fan", so join in if you are so inspired.

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Ron Francis NHL Insider Interview. Ronnie Franchise recently did a Q&A with NHL.com that, while not featuring any breaking news or saucy tidbits, was an interesting read nonetheless. Two things that relate to the Hurricanes immediate past, present and future:



NHL.com: It’s been two straight seasons now that the Hurricanes have missed the playoffs. What has to change this season for the team to get back?


RF: “I think there is so much parity in the League now and it’s so tough to get from October to April and accomplish what you want to do. We got off to a tremendous start last year and we struggled through November, December and half of January. That is ultimately what cost us, but along the way we also lost Rod Brind’Amour, Justin Williams, Chad LaRose, Matt Cullen and numerous other guys. We used 40 different guys on the roster last year and it came down to losing the last game of the season to miss the playoffs. Our goal is to win the Stanley Cup and anything short of that is not successful. We feel we got better on the blue line, where we needed to get better. And, we have enough firepower up front to score goals and our goaltending is good. At least on paper we’re comfortable where we’re at.”


NHL.com: People want to know if Brandon Sutter is going to make the team. Do you think he will?


RF: “I think he can do it. Whether he does or not, we’ll have to see that at training camp. He is an exceptionally smart player. His hockey sense is tremendous and he’s played at some pretty high levels at the World Junior Championship and in the Canada-Russia series last year, which was pretty unique. He stepped into Albany after his junior season was done and looked like he had been there all year. He worked hard to put some muscle on. He’s up in the 180s. We think he’s big enough. He’s gotten strong enough. We think he’s ready.”

-m

WINTER CLASSIC 2009

With today's unveiling of the complete 2008/2009 league schedules, the NHL made official what had been reported unofficially for a few weeks now - the 2009 NHL Winter Classic will take place at Wrigley Field in Chicago on January 1st. Two original 6 teams, Chicago and Detroit, will take part.

Coming off one of their better seasons in years, with a talented young nucleus of players and some eye opening free agent signings - Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet, for example - fortunes are looking up for the Blackhawk faithful. Many of the early prognosticators look for the Hawks to contend in the Central Division this year. The awarding of the Winter Classic seems to be the icing on the cake in an eventful offseason for Blackhawks fans.

Long time rivals, the Blackhawks and the Red Wings have played 701 times in their storied histories, more than any other two teams in the NHL.

2008's inaugural Winter Classic was met with some skepticism when it was first announced, but turned out to be a ratings and PR bonanza. The Buffalo Sabres (natch, Banana Slugs) and Pittsburgh Penguins (natch, Chosen Ones) played to a shootout in the snow in front of a record crowd of over 71,000 fans at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium, with the NHL's golden boy Sidney Crosby scoring the game winner for Pittsburgh. Afterwards, the reviews were raves as skeptical media members who attended or (more likely) watched the game on TV, suddenly forgot their complaints about the folly of the NHL trying to stage such an event on the Hallowed Day of big college football bowl games (seemingly these same folks forgot that the silly BCS bowl system has led to most "big" college bowl games - with the exception of the Rose Bowl, which by law has to be referred to as "the grandaddy of them all - being moved away from New Year's Day). The NHL had seemingly scored a coup, despite itself. And besides, those snowflakes looked pretty on TV.

Anytime you commit to playing a hockey game outdoors south of the U.S./Canadian border, your biggest concern is the weather and how well the ice will hold up (don't look for this game to be held at Carter Findley Stadium or in Phoenix anytime soon). In Buffalo, the ice held up relatively well, but the snow became a bit of a problem. But all in all things went well. Chicago in January promises average temperatures between 18 and 32 degrees (fahrenheit), which if it holds true, should be just about perfect for the ice. Of course, there's always the chance of snow, but the more likely to have a possible adverse effect on the conditions in Chicago are the winds howling off of Lake Michigan. But that's part of what makes these sort of things fun - for the fans at least.

Wrigley Field is a bit more intimate ("the friendly confines") at around 40,000 seats, than Ralph Wilson Stadium, but obviously has a bit more character and history than most NFL stadiums. Overall I think this is a good choice. I know I will be watching.

Most of all, I'm very glad that this tradition is continuing as I think it's a fun thing to do for the fans, both those who attend the game and those watching from the warmth of their homes while nursing a hangover. If this Winter Classic concept was originally Gary Bettman's idea (which I somehow doubt), it has to be the best one he has had in his reign as commissioner - not that there's a lot of competition. Let's just hope they don't try to cash in on a good thing and start scheduling a whole slate of these games every season. Sometimes novelty is a good thing.

NOTES:

- Bettman, ever the (slimy?) politician, tried to make nice with the folks in NYC who had also been bidding to host the game at either Yankee Stadium or The Meadowlands. He was quick to "acknowledge the interest and efforts of the New York Yankees and the City of New York throughout the NHL Winter Classic 2009 site selection process. We look forward to continuing discussions regarding the possibility of a future Winter Classic game at the new Yankee Stadium." Thanks Gary. Now what about that All Star Game you promised to the Hurricanes? Gary? Hello. Gary? You still there?

- Brian Campbell of the Blackhawks will be playing in his second straight Winter Classic having taken the ice for Buffalo on New Years Day 2008. Maybe if the Rangers want to host the 2010 Classic they should look at a trade deadline deal. Campbell gave a thumbs up to NHL.com in regards to taking part in last January's festivities:

"The city was all wrapped up in it. It was, 'How do you get tickets?' 'What are you doing to get prepared?' 'What's your tailgate going to be like?' It was mayhem, a lot of fun, and something you take a lot of pride in."

"I was on the ice for a goal against (21 seconds into the game) because my defensive partner tried to pass it and there was too much snow on the ice and it wasn't going anywhere. I personally did not like the game at that point. Then I scored and the game was the best thing ever."



-m

NHL/CANES announce 2008/2009 Schedule

The NHL officially released its 2008/2007 schedule this afternoon. The Canes open the season on Oct 10th, 2008 at home against the Florida Panthers. For the full story and a downloadable PDF of the schedule you can check out the Hurricanes' Website.

Quick Initial Observations/Comments:

- The Canes get to kick off the season against the team that essentially assured that they would stay home from playoffs last season. The Florida Panthers' won in Carolina and then lost in DC the following evening sealing the Canes' fate on the last weekend of the regular season. The Carolina/Florida division rivalry has had a lot of spark over the last few years, even though the Canes have dominated for the most part in the W-L column, especially at home. Unfortunately, Cane hater and all around cry baby Olli Jokinen has been traded away to Phoenix, but there still should be some juice between these two teams. This game will see the return to Raleigh of former Cane Cory Stillman, who signed with the Panthers as a free agent this summer.

- 14 back-to-backs on the schedule, which seems a bit more manageable that in seasons past. But the Canes get their first one right out the gate as they open the season with Florida and then quickly hop on a plane for a game at new-look Tampa Bay on Saturday 10/11/08.

- The Canes will get to test their meddle early as the Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings visit the RBC Center on 10/13/08. Immediately after that, the Canes head out of town for 6 straight road games - their traditional early season road trip to make way for the State Fair. This year's opponents on the swing: Los Angeles, Anaheim, Pittsburgh, NY Islanders, Montreal and St. Louis. A tough trip for sure, with lots of frequent flyer miles. Should provide a stern early test. Supposedly this is the annual trip where the team "really comes together as a unit" (or at least that's what John Forsland and Tripp Tracy tell me every year).

- Canes fans will not have to wait long to see Erik Cole back on the RBC Center ice as the Edmonton Oilers pay a visit to Raleigh on November 1st for a 3pm Saturday Matinee. Something tells me that might be a sellout, and I'm sure Cole will receive a warm welcome.

- The first match up between the Hurricanes and last year's SE Division Champion Washington Capitals will come on the road 11/6/08. The Caps then travel to Raleigh the very next week for a tilt on 11/12/08. The final regular season match up between the two will come on March 21st, in Raleigh.

- Personally, I always look forward to the Philadelphia Flyers coming to town, and this year the two teams first meet on 11/26 in Raleigh. The teams then clash in Philadelphia two days later (11/28) with the Thanksgiving Holiday sandwiched in between. In fact, all 4 games between the Canes and Flyers this season occur over a two week span.

- FIVE Sunday home games for the Canes in November (Toronto, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Nashville and Anaheim).

- The Canes will be hosting their annual New Year's Eve game, with division rivals Atlanta Thrashers providing the opposition this season.

- The Buffalo Banana Slugs do not show up on the Canes' home schedule until February 26th, and then return for the final home game of the regular season on April 9th. The Canes end the season on the road with a 4/13 tilt against the NJ Devils. I would recommend that the Canes not put themselves in a position to have to win a game against Martin Brodeur on the road in order to make the playoffs. If memory serves, the last time we finished our home schedule with Buffalo, the Canes went on to win the Cup. I'm just sayin'.

- Looking at the stretch run: 5 of Carolina's first 7 games in March are on the road, but they finish out the season with 8 of 11 at home. In an interesting twist, of the Hurricanes final 34 games, after the All-Star Break (Jan 25th), only 10 are against the Southeast Division, and only 2 of the last 10 games are against Southeast foes. This is probably in large part due to the NHL adjusting it's schedule and reducing inter-divisional games from 8 to 6 in order to make room for additional games against the opposing conference. It's interesting in that should the Canes be in a tight divisional race down the stretch, they will have to do a lot of scoreboard watching and not count on head-to-head 2 (or 4) point games.

- As part of the new expanded Eastern Conference vs Western Conference play this season, the NHL assigned each team 3 "wildcards" from the opposing conference. A team plays it's "wildcard" opponents twice in a home and home series. The Canes' wildcard opponents for 2008/2009 are Anaheim, Phoenix and St. Louis. That's a pretty boring slate if you ask me, but then again, no one asked me. The Canes will play one game against every other team in the Western Conference, 4 games against each Eastern Conference (non-divisional) team and 6 games against each divisional rival.

I'm sure I'll come up with more useless anecdotes and comments regarding the schedule once I've had a chance to absorb it a bit more. I've become just that much of a geek. Until again...

-m

Catching Up With The Kids...

A few of the Hurricanes young prospects have been in Raleigh over the last few days taking part in what has become an annual right of passage - Pete Friesen's Prospect Conditioning Camp. Participants this year include prized prospects Brandon Sutter and Jamie McBain as well as this year's draft picks including Zach Boychuk, Zac Dalpe, and Samuel Morneau. Newly signed back-up goalie Micheal Leighton has been taking part as well.

Luke DeCock has been providing updates over on Lord Stanley's Blog, including a short interview today (Thursday) with Jamie McBain.

I'm hoping to be able to make it over to the Rec Zone tomorrow (Friday) to catch some of the on ice "action". Meanwhile Bubba over at Canes Country is rubbing elbows with the real media types and scoring a Q&A with Brandon Sutter. He will be unstoppable if he ever learns how to operate a video camera. The always entertaining WufPirate over at Carolina On Ice was also on hand to check on the kids and give his take on the proceedings.

Also of note in the offseason updates department, Tim Conboy, recent recipient of a new 2 year contract, has a Q&A over on the Albany River Rats website. Some of my favorite nuggets:


You told me earlier, and you’re not the only one to say it, that the Hurricanes have really treated you well and it is the only place you want to be. How come so many people say great things about the ‘Canes organization and how they treat their players?

Top to bottom, you look at the organization and it’s everything you want. A class organization. The general manager, the coaching staff, the equipment staff, everything from top to bottom, you just couldn’t ask for anything better. They got a great thing working right now; they’re doing the right things.

You made your debut with the Canes last year and it seemed like you became an instant fan favorite as well. Were you at all surprised at how quickly the fan base really seemed to take to you?

Yeah, it was crazy. I think the first fight I had against Scott Parker they were playing that old trucker song “You Got a Great Big Convoy”. (Laughs) I remember hearing that and thinking ‘Wow that was fast, I can’t believe they even knew that song was out already.’ It was definitely surprising to see that many people cheering for me every night, it was nice.

Obviously, you’re where you want to be which is in the NHL. And to play in such a great atmosphere at the RBC Center, is that the pinnacle of what a hockey player dreams about?

Yeah, it’s unbelievable. Going out there, you throw the littlest body check--it doesn’t even have to be a big check, you can just be rubbing out a guy--and the place goes nuts. It’s a pretty intense atmosphere to be in and something I think every kid dreams of when they step on the ice for the first time.

Does the big crowd add to your play? You have always been a pretty fiery, energetic guy. Does that just fuel your passion and hunger?

Definitely. You hear the roar of the crowd and it just puts a fire in your belly. You want to go out there and do something so they get loud again.

The other part of your first stint with Carolina was playing as a forward. Do you think that really makes a difference in your appeal to the team because of your versatility of being able to play both forward and defense?

You know I was telling everybody I probably don’t even need to use a stick out there, so just stick me wherever and I’ll just try to run guys over. (Laughs) But no, it was fun playing forward; it’s something I’ve gotten to do a little bit before in my pro career. I’m glad they trust me enough to think I’m able to go back and forth like that. I just think it’s a great asset for me to have.

If you so desire, you can also check out Offseason Q&As with Casey Boerer and Michael Leighton as well.

LaRose Is Back In The Fold

I've been away from my computer for the last few days, but I was happy to read in yesterday's News & Observer that the Canes have come to terms on a new 1 year contract with sparkplug forward Chad LaRose.

LaRose was a restricted free agent, who just last week had filed for arbitration. The Canes had originally offered a qualifying offer of $550,000, but the contract signed on Wednesday was for one year at $875,000. There had been some concern amongst Canes fans (myself included) that the team would not be able to resign LaRose under their current budget restrictions. Rumor had it that the LaRose camp was seeking 3rd line money, while the Canes do not project him above a 4th line forward in the upcoming season. Adding to the concern was the fact that with their recent trades and free agent signings, the Canes were already (and still are) well above their projected salary budget of $45 million. But with LaRose now securely back in the fold for at least one more season, the Canes can look to trim that budget a bit, most likely through a trade on defense.

LaRose, 26, is coming off his most productive campaign in 3 NHL level seasons with the Hurricanes. Known primarily as an energy guy and penalty killer for most of his NHL career, a rash of injuries to the Hurricanes forward corps resulted in LaRose playing on the second and third lines for the first time in his career. He responded t the additional ice time by posting NHL and career highs in goals (11) and total points (23)*, even though he himself was limited to 57 games due to an injury of his own (a broken leg) 3/4 of the way through the season. LaRose came back from what many thought could be a season ending injury in just 4 weeks, and was strong down the stretch for the Canes, notching his first NHL career hat-trick (and the game winning goal) on April 2nd against Tampa Bay.

A prolific scorer in juniors (he once notched a 117 point season in just 67 games for Plymouth in 2002-2003) and in the minors, LaRose has never found a prolific or consistent scoring touch on the NHL level, but he has more than made up for it with hard work, character, energy and grit, making him a definite fan favorite and an asset in the Canes' locker room.

Hopefully LaRose's offensive game will continue to develop, although with the glut of forwards on the Carolina roster heading into 2008/2009 it will be difficult to see him cracking the top 3 lines. Most likely the Canes will rely on him for his energy, grit and defensive skills on the 4th line and the penalty kill, barring significant injury in their top 9 forwards. Still, LaRose is a fighter and will surely make anyone ahead of him on the depth chart fight for their minutes on the ice. And having him as insurance in the depth department is a great thing.

Overall a good signing for the Canes, both from an on-ice perspective and from a PR perspective. Having already lost one fan favorite in Erik Cole, some Caniacs would have gotten pretty restless losing LaRose as well.

-m

* Interesting Note: LaRose has notched exactly 12 assists in each of his 3 seasons with the Hurricanes. His goal totals in those 3 seasons have increased from 1 (2005/2006) to 6 (2006/2007) to 12 (2007/2008).