Carolina Hurricanes News

Broken bone shelves Gleason
Comment
March 18
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"Defenseman Tim Gleason played in pain Tuesday against the Boston Bruins but won't be able to play tonight and may be sidelined as many as three weeks. Canes coach Paul Maurice said today that Gleason broke one of the "long bones" in his right foot during Saturday's 4-0 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes. He had 18 minutes of ice time Tuesday against the Bruins in a 5-2 loss."
Walker, Corvo come back with Caps
Comment
March 18
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"It was just moments before the opening faceoff last week when Ray Whitney found himself side by side with Scott Walker. "You've got to love it, being here," Whitney said. "It's tough not to," Walker replied. For Walker, "here" was a place on the Washington Capitals. It's tough not to be pumped about being a part of a dynamic team that leads the Eastern Conference and could well win the Stanley Cup. Until March 3, Whitney and Walker were teammates with the Carolina Hurricanes. When Walker scored the overtime goal that beat the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of their playoff series last year, it was Whitney who not only had the primary assist but gave Walker one of the long est postgame hugs. "We ..."
Bruins rip up Canes
Comment
March 17
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"Manny Legace wanted to accept all the blame, not that anyone would let him. The Carolina Hurricanes had just been beaten 5-2 Tuesday by the Boston Bruins in a game that had a distinct win-or-else feel to it, and Legace was despondent. His play in goal, he said dejectedly, was the difference in what shaped up as the Canes' most important game of the season. "This was a huge game," Legace said. "I was awful. It wasn't anyone but me. It was the biggest game of the year and I show up like that. "It puts us 10 points out now. We need them to lose a lot and other teams to lose a lot." The Bruins, ending a seven-game road trip, came into the RBC Center in eighth place - the final playoff position ..."
Hurricanes won't face Ovechkin on Thursday
Comment
March 16
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals arguably is the best player in the NHL. But is he a dirty player? Or just a recklessly aggressive player? Ovechkin has been thrown out of three games this season, the latest Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks. The hard-charging forward was ejected after boarding defenseman Brian Campbell, who went shoulder-first into the end boards. Campbell was said to have a broken collarbone and will miss the rest of the season, a big blow for a team deemed a Stanley Cup contender. Ovechkin, after a disciplinary hearing with the league Monday, was suspended for two games and will not play in Thursday's matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes at the RBC ..."
Staal coming back to form
Comment
March 15
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"For Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes, the golden glow wasn't very lasting. Even Sidney Crosby says it has been a bit of a struggle getting back in the NHL flow. Two weeks ago Sunday, Staal and Crosby were a part of one of the biggest hockey moments of their lives. Though both have won Stanley Cups, it was hard to match the thrill, the nationwide euphoria, that came from Crosby's overtime goal for Canada - forever to be known as the "Golden Goal" - that beat the United States 3-2 in the Vancouver Olympics. In seven games since winning the gold medal, Staal has just one goal and three assists for the Canes. The one goal: against Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday in a 4-3 ..."
Canes can't solve Bryzgalov
Comment
March 14
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"There are a number of reasons for the surprising success of the Phoenix Coyotes this season. One big reason: Once in the lead, the Coyotes have been nigh unbeatable. Another big one: goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. So it was again Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Coyotes jumped to an early lead, getting two goals from Lee Stempniak in the first period, and Bryzgalov was flawless in net in a 4-0 victory at the RBC Center. The Canes had won eight straight at home and were 9-1-1 in their last 11 games. They were fresh off a confidence-boosting 4-3 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, the defending Stanley Cup champions, and were keeping a close eye on the Eastern Conference ..."
Scoring a Goal with Zach Boychuk of the Hurricanes
Comment
March 14
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Zach Boychuk has something in common with a fellow NHL center, Evgeni Malkin of the Penguins. Each player can count future Hall of Fame Devil goalie Martin Brodeur as the first notch on his goal-scoring belt. Malkin's first goal came in his NHL debut four years ago Boychuk, 20 and the 14th overall pick in 2008, played 11 games this season before finally finding the back of the net last month: "It wasn't a pretty goal. It was greasy. I was just around the net and had my stick on it, but it counts. I didn't have time to think about it. I just skated away, into the corner, and started celebrating by myself. You get so excited because you've dreamed about it, but I didn't really know how to ..."
Hurricanes won't back down
Comment
March 13
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"Not liking what he saw, Ray Whitney recently took things into his own hands. The Carolina Hurricanes have the NHL's Eastern Conference standings posted in their locker room at the RBC Center, and Whitney noticed the New York Islanders were a spot above the Canes. Realizing the mistake, the winger walked over, yanked "Carolina" off the board and moved it up. While the Hurricanes haven't made a lot of movement in the East this season, they have been upwardly mobile of late. By going 13-3-1 in their last 17 games, the Canes are in 13th place - ahead of the Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs - but were just three points out of ninth Thursday after an exciting 4-3 overtime win over the ..."
Canes crack Penguins in OT
Comment
March 12
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"Mathematically, the Carolina Hurricanes still have a chance of reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs. And realistically? The games are running short and the schedule is unrelenting. But the Canes still have plenty of fight, as the Pittsburgh Penguins learned Thursday. A night after an overtime loss to the Washington Capitals, the Hurricanes went to overtime again against the defending Stanley Cup champions. But they weren't to be denied, with Justin Peters making 37 saves before defenseman Brian Pothier buried a shot 23 seconds into the OT for a 4-3 victory at the RBC Center. "We played a really hard game in overtime last night, but we were able to hang in there and find a way in overtime," ..."
Carolina goaltender Peters slows down Pens
Comment
March 12
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Despite a 4-3 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes at RBC Center on Thursday night, the Penguins probably couldn't be performing at a more consistently high level headed into an Atlantic Division showdown at New Jersey tonight. If not for "one of those nights" by backup goalie Brent Johnson, who stopped 17 shots but couldn't grab a one-timer from Carolina defenseman Brian Pothier just 23 seconds into the extra session, the Penguins would have entered Prudential Center riding a five-game winning streak and with a five-point lead on the Devils. Still, any lead on New Jersey is something of a surprise given the Penguins' standing on Dec. 31, 2009 ? the morning after a fourth straight ..."
Penguins, Johnson fall to Hurricanes in overtime
Comment
March 12
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Let's break this game down to some of its major components: • The Penguins went on the road and scored two goals in the first 5 1/2 minutes. • They killed a five-on-three power play that lasted 99 seconds and did not give up a shot while they were down two men. • They outshot their opponents by 40-21 -- a fair indication of how much time they spent in the attacking zone. But the numbers that mattered Thursday night showed the Carolina Hurricanes with a 4-3 overtime victory against the Penguin at the RBC Center. Hurricanes defenseman Brian Pothier got the winner 23 seconds into overtime when he beat Penguins goalie Brent Johnson, a one-time teammate in Washington, with a shot from the right ..."
Penguins fall to Hurricanes in overtime, 4-3
Comment
March 12
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Carolina defenseman Brian Pothier scored from the right dot 23 seconds into overtime to give the Hurricanes a 4-3 victory against the Penguins at the RBC Center tonight. The Penguins, who lead the Atlantic Division by four points, will play second-place New Jersey at 7:08 p.m. Friday in Newark. Tyler Kennedy, who normally plays right wing on the No. 3 line, was a healthy scratch (although he has a minor groin problem) and was replaced in that role by Pascal Dupuis. It didn't long for that move to pay off for the Penguins. Just 64 seconds into the game, Jordan Staal took a feed from Dupuis and threw a shot by Hurricanes goalie Justin Peters from just inside the left circle for his 19th of ..."
Hurricanes, Caps have a 'reunion'
Comment
March 11
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"The game had a slightly surreal feel to it. Before the opening faceoff, there was Scott Walker lined up next to Ray Whitney - Walker in a red Washington Capitals sweater, Whitney in Carolina Hurricanes white. Soon after the faceoff, there was Joe Corvo trying to chase down Eric Staal - Corvo No. 77 for the Caps, Staal controlling the puck for the Canes. A little more than a week ago, the four were together on the ice, trying to win games for the Hurricanes. A big trade day changed all that, creating new faces in the lineups and new rivals in the Southeast Division rivalry. But in the end, it was about playing hockey. It also was about overtime before the Caps won 4-3 Wednesday night at ..."
Legace's numbers do the talking
Comment
March 10
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"Manny Legace doesn't talk on game days. "It's an old goaltender's superstition," he said, smiling. Legace meant the superstition was an old one, not himself. But at 37, the Carolina Hurricanes goaltender is getting up in years. Legace will start tonight for the Canes against the Washington Capitals, and he won't be talking to the media after the morning skate at the Verizon Center. But that's not to say he won't be talking. Legace always talks - in practice, in the locker room, on the plane, at the hotel, during meals on the road. He's the kind of guy who keeps things light and breezy in a sport that all too often can be a tough, silent grind. "He's a real good team player. Funny, loose," ..."
NHL may be poised to curb concussions
Comment
March 9
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"The National Hockey League, which like professional football has been plagued by concussions, may be ready to take a stand this week on hits to the head. Jim Rutherford, the Carolina Hurricanes general manager, says he hopes the meeting of general managers this week will produce a recommendation to the league on a way reduce head injuries. On Monday, the meeting's first day, the managers spent most of the morning viewing a video on head blows, followed by a presentation on concussions. "We've talked about it enough, and we've got enough information," Rutherford said from the meeting in Boca Raton, Fla. "Hopefully we can come up with some kind of recommendation." The quicker the better, ..."
Canes bounce back, shut out Thrashers
Comment
March 8
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"The last thing the Carolina Hurricanes can afford at this point in the season is a losing streak of any length. The Canes, gamely making a last-gasp push for the playoffs, need every point they can muster and picked up two Sunday with a solid 4-0 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers at Philips Arena. Manny Legace wasn't overloaded with work but cleaned up whatever came his way in net for the Canes. The old pro, who received a tryout with the Thrashers in preseason training camp, used 27 saves to notch his 24th career shutout and his first this season. The shutout was the first for Carolina this season after several near-misses where Canes gave up late scores. "My defense just played ..."
Panthers end Canes' streak
Comment
March 7
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"It couldn't last forever. Nothing does. The Carolina Hurricanes realized their winning streak would end at some point, and it did Saturday. But the Canes didn't expect it to end because of some sloppy, ineffective play. The Florida Panthers ended Carolina's run of seven straight wins, aggressively taking charge to grab a two-goal lead early in the game and then holding on to beat the Hurricanes 4-1. The Canes' Jussi Jokinen scored with 12:02 to play in regulation, tipping in the rebound of a Brandon Sutter shot. But Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun turned back every other threat, and the Hurricanes came up empty on all seven power plays, including 1:42 of a two-man advantage in the second ..."
Pothier's path linked to Triangle
Comment
March 6
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"Brian Pothier spent most of 2008 wondering if his hockey career was over. A two-hour session with a Raleigh optometrist helped save it, he said, but that's getting a little ahead of the story. Pothier and Matt Cullen were on the ice Thursday night at the RBC Center. Pothier now plays for the Carolina Hurricanes and Cullen for the Ottawa Senators, the result of recent trades, but that Pothier has been able to see his way back into the NHL, back into hockey, has a lot to do with Cullen. Late in 2008, Pothier feared the worst. Then with the Washington Capitals, the defenseman had been slammed into the boards by Boston Bruins bruiser Milan Lucic, jerking his head and neck and causing a ..."
Canes have hope for the future
Comment
March 5
Raleigh News & Observer
 columnist Luke DeCock
"If this is what next season is going to look like, plus or minus a few players, then fall can't come soon enough for the Carolina Hurricanes. This spring may not be so bad, either. After all of Wednesday's wheeling and dealing, the Hurricanes are left, for these final 20 games, with the skeleton of their team for next season - a team that pounded out a 4-1 win over the disinterested Ottawa Senators on Thursday with real efficiency. Relative old-timers - Rod Brind'Amour and Tom Kostopoulos, combined age 70 - scored the first two goals, with 20-year-old Zach Boychuk picking up an assist on each, his fourth and fifth of the season. Boychuk was called up from the Albany River Rats of the ..."
Canes keep on cruising
Comment
March 5
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"The Olympic break didn't stop them. Neither, it seems, did a mass exit of players. The Carolina Hurricanes are still winning, still rolling. And still believing. A day after trading away five players who helped put together a six-game winning streak, the Canes responded by thumping the Ottawa Senators 4-1 on Thursday before a howling crowd of 17,048 at the RBC Center. Make it seven straight wins for the Hurricanes. Make it 11 victories in the last 13 games. While still long shots to reach the playoffs with 19 games left in the regular season, the Canes are still clawing, still chasing, still alive. And for Manny Legace, make it 30-for-30. Ottawa was the only team in the league the veteran ..."
Canes make a major transformation
Comment
March 4
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"Talk about a strong finishing kick. The Canes' turned what appeared to be a fairly quiet trade deadline day into a bang-up, wholesale lineup change with a late rush. Defenseman Aaron Ward and Scott Walker were traded just after noon. About three hours later, just before the NHL's 3 p.m. deadline, the Canes dealt defenseman Joe Corvo to the Washington Capitals for defenseman Brian Pothier, Finnish forward Oskar Osala and a second-round pick. Defenseman Andrew Alberts was sent to the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick, and forward Stephane Yelle -- with Harrison Reed -- was sent to the Colorado Avalanche for Cedric Lalonde-McNicoll and a sixth-rounder. Add in the trades of Matt Cullen ..."
Big deal ended up no deal
Comment
March 4
Raleigh News & Observer
 columnist Luke Decock
"Ray Whitney was the one member of the Carolina Hurricanes certain to get moved by Wednesday afternoon's trade deadline. Ask anyone. By the time the deadline passed, however, just about everyone else was shipped off and Whitney was still around. Five separate trades gutted the roster while bringing in a wealth of draft picks and prospects. The Hurricanes cashed in on all but two of their impending free agents. It just so happened that one still on the roster might have fetched the biggest haul of all. It's a shame, because the Hurricanes cleaned up when they cleaned house. Getting something for Whitney would have put them over the top. General manager Jim Rutherford said a handful of teams ..."
Canes trade five players
Comment
March 4
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford called it a busy day and believed it to be a productive day. But not a happy day, he said. Rutherford would not call it that. In the final three hours before the NHL's trade deadline Wednesday, the Hurricanes parted ways with five players. They received a few players and few draft picks in return, and Rutherford said the team probably saved about $2 million this year with all its trades, but the late push to the 3 p.m. finish line left everyone limp and exhausted. Gone were defensemen Joe Corvo, Aaron Ward and Andrew Alberts, all regulars this season. Gone was forward Scott Walker, a gritty player called "a great soldier" by Canes coach ..."
Canucks acquire Alberts from Hurricanes
Comment
March 3
TSN.ca
 
"The Vancouver Canucks acquired defenceman Andrew Alberts from the Carolnia Hurricanes in exchange for a third-round pick in 2010. Alberts, 28, is in his fifth season as a professional hoceky player, spending time in Carolina, Philadelphia and Boston."
Canucks Acquire Andrew Alberts From Hurricanes
Comment
March 3
TSN.ca
 
"The Vancouver Canucks acquired defenceman Andrew Alberts from the Carolnia Hurricanes in exchange for a third-round pick in 2010. Alberts, 28, is in his fifth season as a professional hoceky player, spending time in Carolina, Philadelphia and Boston."
Capitals acquire Corvo
Comment
March 3
TSN.ca
 
"The Carolina Hurricanes have traded defenceman Joe Corvo to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Brian Pothier and Oskar Osala. Corvo returned to the ice in late January after missing two months recovering from a horrible skate cut to his calf. In 33 games played this season, Corvo has four goals and eight assists with a minus -8 rating. The 32-year old native of Oak Park, IL, put up quality offensive numbers from the blue line last season with 14 goals and 24 assists. Drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 4th round (83rd overall) in 1997, Corvo signed with the Ottawa Senators as an unrestricted free agent in July 2006, where he reached the Stanley Cup Finals. He, along with Patrick ..."
Capital gain, Walker shipped to Washington for 7th rounder
Comment
March 3
Washington Examiner
 
"The Caps have made their first NHL trade deadline move by trading for Carolina Hurricanes forward Scott Walker. The price for general manager George McPhee was simply a 7th-round draft pick. Walker is 5-foot-10, 196-pounds and 36 years old. He had a lively playoff run with Carolina last spring, decking former teammate Aaron Ward — then a defenseman with the Boston Bruins — with a controversial sucker punch. But Walker also scored the series-winning goal in overtime of Game 7 to lift the Hurricanes to the Eastern Conference finals. No hard feelings with Ward, who returned to Carolina in the offseason."
Ducks acquire Ward from Canes for Pogge and draft pick
Comment
March 3
TSN.ca
 
"Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Aaron Ward is on the move as he is headed to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for goaltender Justin Pogge and a fourth round draft pick. The 37-year old Ward is making $2.5 million this season and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. In 60 games this season the three-time Stanley Cup champion has one goal and 10 assists."
Canes resume streak
Comment
March 3
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"There were so many questions about the Carolina Hurricanes before Tuesday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Would the two-week Olympic break stall the momentum the Canes generated before the Vancouver Games? How would Carolina's four Olympians respond after being in such an emotionally charged atmosphere? With the NHL trade deadline today, some wondered who would be - or wouldn't be - in the Canes' lineup. Would Ray Whitney play? Defenseman Aaron Ward? Forwards Chad LaRose, Erik Cole and Scott Walker all were returning from injury. How would they play? And rookie Justin Peters was making just his third career start in goal. But the Hurricanes answered every question, emphatically, ..."
Canes' future awaits
Comment
March 2
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"Never mind the cruelty of the NHL schedule-maker, sending the Carolina Hurricanes to Toronto, the center of the rumor-mongering universe, on the eve of the league's trade deadline. What about the players left behind when the deadline passes? Tonight's post-Olympic curtain-lifter against the Maple Leafs could be the last game for at least a couple and perhaps more of the Hurricanes, if they're not already shipped out by then. When the dust settles, the Hurricanes will be a younger, cheaper operation faced with two very differing missions. On the one hand, it's a hockey player's nature - not to mention his job - to compete as hard as he can and try to win as hard as he can. The Hurricanes ..."
Happy Staal heads back to work
Comment
March 2
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"Eric Staal had a hard time taking off his Olympic gold medal Monday. It wasn't that the Carolina Hurricanes captain was showing off. It's just that everywhere he turned he was asked to pull it out and put it on - for TV interviews, for photos, for his teammates and coaches - and he even had his own two-man security detail at the Canes' team hotel. Not that Staal minded. It was his dream to help win Olympic gold for Canada in the Vancouver Winter Games, to win on home soil, to make his family and his country proud. Proud? Canada experienced sea-to-sea pandemonium Sunday afternoon after Sidney Crosby's overtime goal beat the U.S. team. "They say it's a pound and a half," Staal said, smiling ..."
Trade deadline looms for Canes
Comment
March 1
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"The Winter Olympics are over. For NHL general managers, that means another Olympian task begins. In the next three days, teams will scurry to make trades and look to solidify lineups. The NHL trade deadline is Wednesday at 3 p.m., but the break for the Vancouver Games - and the NHL trade freeze during the past two weeks -- will make the next few days extra intense. "It will be an interesting time," Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said Sunday. Rutherford said he had received calls from 10 teams in the past four days - team officials were allowed to inquire about potential deals during the Games. Veteran winger Ray Whitney has drawn the most interest, but Rutherford said ..."
Canes return to practice
Comment
February 26
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"The Carolina Hurricanes resumed practice Wednesday, and defenseman Alexandre Picard was both a new face in their midst on the ice and a reminder theirs is a team in flux. Picard was acquired by the Hurricanes as part of the Feb. 12 trade that sent veteran forward Matt Cullen to the Ottawa Senators. That deal came just a few days after veteran defenseman Niclas Wallin was dealt to the San Jose Sharks. The Hurricanes will play their first game after the two-week break for the Olympics on March 2 against the Maple Leafs in Toronto. The NHL trade deadline is the next day, and other changes to the Canes' roster are expected. "You know what, it's been like that all year," coach Paul Maurice said ..."
Canes all for chance at gold
Comment
February 26
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"To Brandon Sutter of the Carolina Hurricanes, it's a no-brainer. The 2014 Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia, and Sutter would like to be a part of the Games. One of his goals is to compete for Team Canada and help Canada win - he hopes - back-to-back hockey gold medals. "I think everybody wants to have a chance like that," the Canes center said this week. "If that chance comes, obviously I'd be thrilled." Whether Sutter will get that chance is in question. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been doggedly noncommital when discussing NHL players participating in 2014. Bettman has talked of how a two-week break for the Olympics disrupts and compresses the NHL schedule. He has ..."
Canes return to practice
Comment
February 25
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"The Carolina Hurricanes resumed practice Wednesday, and defenseman Alexandre Picard was both a new face in their midst on the ice and a reminder theirs is a team in flux. Picard was acquired by the Hurricanes as part of the Feb. 12 trade that sent veteran forward Matt Cullen to the Ottawa Senators. That deal came just a few days after veteran defenseman Niclas Wallin was dealt to the San Jose Sharks. The Hurricanes will play their first game after the two-week break for the Olympics on March 2 against the Maple Leafs in Toronto. The NHL trade deadline is the next day, and other changes to the Canes' roster are expected. "You know what, it's been like that all year," coach Paul Maurice ..."
Canes' Ward could be back in net this season
Comment
February 24
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"There's a chance Cam Ward could be back in goal for the Carolina Hurricanes this season. General manager Jim Rutherford said Tuesday that Ward, sidelined since Feb. 3 with a back injury, had his second appointment with a back specialist in Charlotte this week. Rutherford said surgery will not be required. "We're real encouraged with the progress he's making," Rutherford said. "He has been feeling much better in the last week. We'll see where he is in the next week or two. "When this first happened, we felt he may not play again this year. Based on how he feels now, the progress he's made, he could play in a few weeks. But we will not push it by any means." Ward, 25, was bothered by back ..."
With new chemistry, Canada routs Germany
Comment
February 24
Toronto Star
 
"With Canada Hockey Place playing the role of Petri dish, and the defensive-focused Germans little more than annoying bacteria, Team Canada's experimenting finally resulted in some first-line chemistry. Eric Staal was the latest to receive the call on Sidney Crosby's flank, skating to his left while Jarome Iginla reprised his role as right wing sniper on Canada's top unit. The concoction worked. That troika produced three goals in a confidence-building 8-2 elimination game victory against the Germans Tuesday. This tilt was little more than a prelude to Wednesday's much-anticipated Olympic quarterfinal matchup with the Russians (7:30 p.m. Eastern time on CTV). It was a game made necessary ..."
Finland's Pitkanen suspended for quarterfinal
Comment
February 23
TSN.ca
 
"Finland's Joni Pitkanen has received an automatic one game suspension and will not play in Wednesday's quarterfinal. The Finnish blueliner received a match penalty for a hit to the head of Patric Hornqvist in the second period of Sunday's round robin game against Sweden."
Olympics special to pros
Comment
February 16
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"When the Olympic hockey competition begins tonight, Jussi Jokinen will be watching. Never mind the baffling snub by the Finnish team. Never mind the 10-hour time difference between Helsinki and Vancouver. The Carolina Hurricanes forward will be watching. That Jokinen, the shootout ace whose omission from Team Suomi in the midst of a career year with the Hurricanes is beyond baffling, is willing to put aside his hurt feelings to watch the competition is a good measure of what Olympic involvement means to NHL players. "I'll probably watch, yeah," Jokinen said before heading home for the break. "It's tough because in Finland there's a big-time difference from here, but I'm going to try to ..."
Golden dreams drive Canes
Comment
February 16
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"Eric Staal was talking a few days ago about the Vancouver Olympics, about the pride and pressure of playing for Team Canada, of how nothing less than a gold medal would be acceptable in his home country. "Obviously, our goal is to win a gold, and we'll do everything we can do to that," Staal said. "The pressure that comes with it, you've got to love that." A few feet away in the Carolina Hurricanes locker room, defenseman Tim Gleason was eavesdropping a little. And grinning. Gleason is a member of the U.S. Olympic team. Let's just say the expectations aren't quite the same for Team USA as for Staal and those who will wear the red maple leaf on their sweaters. Gleason's smile had a little ..."
It's break time for Hurricanes
Comment
February 15
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"The Carolina Hurricanes fanned out in a number of directions Sunday. Eric Staal, Joni Pitkanen, Tuomo Ruutu and Tim Gleason headed to Vancouver for the Winter Olympics. Staal will play for Team Canada, Gleason for Team USA and Pitkanen and Ruutu for the Finnish national team, all in pursuit of gold. Jussi Jokinen hoped to be going with Pitkanen and Ruutu and play for Finland. Instead, he's going back to Finland to visit his family. Some on the team are seeking out warmer climes, although some will stay to rest and relax with their wives and kids. "Right now, a lot of guys are tired because of the amount of games we've had to play because of the Olympics in a short amount of time," winger ..."
Hurricanes torch Devils at RBC
Comment
February 14
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"If it was Ray Whitney's last game at the RBC Center for the Carolina Hurricanes this season, his last time before the home fans, he gave 'em one to remember. Whitney dazzled, scoring a pair of goals and assisting on another Saturday as the Canes hammered the New Jersey Devils 5-2 to push their winning streak to five games. After the two-week break for the Winter Olympics, after the trade deadline in early March, Whitney may well be playing for another team. With his experience, his skills, his savvy, the veteran winger is considered one of the players most desirable by teams hopeful of making a run at the Stanley Cup. Whitney brushed aside any questions about a potential trade after the ..."
Boychuk back with the Canes
Comment
February 13
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled forward Zach Boychuk from the Albany River Rats of the AHL. Boychuk will be in the lineup tonight against the New Jersey Devils at the RBC Center."
Canes ship Cullen to Ottawa, get Picard
Comment
February 13
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"The transformation of the Carolina Hurricanes continued Friday. The Canes sent center Matt Cullen to the Ottawa Senators for defenseman Alexandre Picard and a second-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Cullen's trade came five days after Carolina sent defenseman Niclas Wallin and a fifth-round pick to the San Jose Sharks for a second-round draft pick. Cullen and Wallin both were integral parts of the Canes' run to the 2006 Stanley Cup. Both were popular among their teammates, popular with the fans. But both were due to become unrestricted free agents after the season. With the Hurricanes now in the position of being "sellers," both were made available for trades and dealt before ..."
Senators acquire Matt Cullen in trade for Alex Picard
Comment
February 12
Ottawa Citizen
 
"The Ottawa Senators have acquired centre Matt Cullen from the Carolina Hurricanes for defenceman Alexandre Picard and second round draft choice in June. The trade came only minutes after the Senators extended the contract of general manager Bryan Murray. Cullen, 33, has scored 12 goals and 28 assists in 60 games with the Hurricanes this season, but he also adds something every team wants at this time of year — playoff experience. Cullen, a two-way centre, won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006 and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals with the Hurricanes again last season. Picard, who was originally acquired by the Senators, along with Filip Kuba for Andrej Meszaros before the ..."
Senators pick up Cullen from Hurricanes
Comment
February 12
Toronto Sun
 
"It didn't take long for Bryan Murray to get back to work after it was announced he received a one-year contract extension. The Senators GM dealt for Carolina veteran centre Matt Cullen Friday for defenceman Alex Picard and a second round pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft. The Hurricanes had to get the money off the books and Cullen is going to bring veteran leadership."
Canes cut off Sabres
Comment
February 12
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"They can't do it, can they? After all they've been through this season, the Carolina Hurricanes can't conceivably find a way to get back into playoff chase. There were just too many losses in October and November. There are too few games to be played and too many teams ahead of them. But the Canes now have won four straight and eight of 10 after a 4-3 overtime victory Thursday over the Buffalo Sabres. They have 22 games to play, with a 10-point margin separating the Hurricanes and eighth place - playoff position - in the Eastern Conference. "You never know," Canes center Brandon Sutter said. "We've got one more game before the [Olympic] break. If we can get that one ... you never know what ..."
River Rats will move to Charlotte
Comment
February 11
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"The Carolina Hurricanes will no longer have to go as far to check out their top young prospects. Charlotte Checkers owner Michael Kahn has purchased the American Hockey League's Albany (N.Y.) River Rats, the primary minor league affiliate of the Hurricanes. The team, which will start playing in Charlotte next season, will assume the Checkers name. Kahn said he anticipates that Charlotte's existing Checkers franchise in the ECHL will be sold, possibly within a month. The Hurricanes had been trying to find an AHL location where their prospects would be closer to Raleigh. They've been affiliated with the Albany franchise, which has struggled financially, for four years. "Moving guys in and ..."
Canes owner has goals in mind
Comment
February 10
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"As dismal as this season has been for the Carolina Hurricanes, here's the way next season is shaping up: The Hurricanes will open the regular season with two games in Helsinki, Finland, and also will play a preseason exhibition game either in Finland or Moscow. The Canes should have their American Hockey League affiliate in Charlotte, expanding exposure for the team and hockey in the state. The 2011 NHL All-Star Game could be played at the RBC Center, with an official announcement soon to be made by the league. And while the Hurricanes' roster will have a much different look to it, it could include one of the top picks from the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. The NHL announced Tuesday that the ..."