2006 Stanley Cup Champs: Where Are They Now?
It’s been about nine years since the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers. While some of the members of the Championship team are still actively playing in the NHL, others have retired and moved on.
While we have been fortunate enough to see certain players retire with the Hurricanes in dramatic fashion like Rod Brind’Amour and Glen Wesley, there are others that took their talents to other franchises.
Cory Stillman had an extraordinary career in the NHL with over 727 points in 1025 games played. He played on several teams after the 2005-2006 season, including the Florida Panthers and the Ottawa Senators. He ended up returning to Carolina for the 2010-2011 season where he would retire later that year. He is currently working as the Director of Forwards Development for the Canes.
Justin Williams was traded in 2009 to the LA Kings, where he would win two more Stanley Cups in the 2012 and 2014 seasons. He stills plays for the Kings at the age of 33.
Three-time Stanley Cup Champion, Aaron Ward, joined TSN in 2011, where he serves as a hockey analyst. In 2014, he hosted the “Reorientation”, a TSN original series about homophobia in professional sports that received worldwide acclaim.
Ray Whitney finished his 24-year long career with the Dallas stars after racking up 1,064 points. He played alongside ex-Hurricane and NHL veteran, Erik Cole. Erik Cole is an active member (Left-winger) of the Dallas organization.
Frantisek “Frank” Kaberle concluded his 20-year professional ice hockey career in the Czech Extraliga. Frank’s brother, Tomas Kaberle also had a short-lived career with the Hurricanes.
Carolina Hurricanes
Bret Hedican played most of his years on the Vancouver Canucks and the Carolina Hurricanes. He joined Comcast Sportsnet Entertainment shortly after retirement, where he served as a pre-game and post-game analyst for the San Jose Sharks. He later joined the Sharks Radio Network team and currently provides color commentary alongside Dan Rusanowsky.
Kevyn Adams decided to take his talents to the Buffalo Sabres coaching staff. He was the Assistant coach from 2011 to 2013, but was fired after the installment of Ron Rolston as head coach.
Chad LaRose mysteriously left the game of hockey after the 2012-2013 season. He later gave a statement about his return.
“I wasn’t taking it as a break,” he said. “It was to stop playing hockey. I didn’t plan on coming back to play hockey ever again.”
He lost the love for the game that he used to have. After the yearlong break, the love he once knew returned and now he currently plays for Carolina’s Minor League affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers (AHL).
This group of individuals consisted of countless players that excelled at the professional level. They accomplished something that was seen as almost impossible for a franchise as new as they were. Now many mentor and coach players that are considered to be the future of the game. While these players continue to retire, their legacy will always be remembered.
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