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Carolina Hurricanes: Justin Williams Among the Best Hurricanes of All-Time

By Joshua Ryan

RALEIGH, NC - DECEMBER 31: Justin Williams #14 of the Carolina Hurricanes watches action on the ice during his 1200th NHL game against the Philadelphia Flyers on December 31, 2018 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC - DECEMBER 31: Justin Williams #14 of the Carolina Hurricanes watches action on the ice during his 1200th NHL game against the Philadelphia Flyers on December 31, 2018 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA – JANUARY 21: Rod Brind’Amour #17 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Eric Staal #12 after scoring a goal against the Atlanta Thrashers at Philips Arena on January 21, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NHLI via Getty Images)
ATLANTA – JANUARY 21: Rod Brind’Amour #17 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Eric Staal #12 after scoring a goal against the Atlanta Thrashers at Philips Arena on January 21, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NHLI via Getty Images) /

The Company

The Carolina Hurricanes may not have the storied history of the Original Six franchises, but we have been blessed with immense talent. Although we’ve never had a player widely considered to be the best on the planet, there were many who have meant a lot to the fans of this team.

Players like Eric Staal, one of the top scorers in the league during his tenure with the Hurricanes, and a fan favorite during his 7-year stint as captain. Ron Francis, often referred to as one of the best players that ever played. Rod Brind’Amour is one of the NHL’s most underrated players of all time, and led the Hurricanes to their first, and only, Stanley Cup win.

There are also impact players who have become favored by Hurricanes fans. Goaltenders Cam Ward ,who was a mainstay in net for 13 years and Arturs Irbe, who was beloved for the 5 seasons he spent in Carolina.

Not to mention the impact of players like Glen Wesley, who’s number 2 hangs in the rafters, and was productive for his 10 years on the Carolina Defense; or Erik Cole, who spent 9 seasons in Carolina, putting up more than 40 points 6 times, and ranks inside the top 5 in points scored by a Hurricane.

These players have, in one way or another, contributed to the Hurricanes legacy. The question is, where does Justin Williams rank among those names? I would argue that Williams has the contribution to Carolina that leaves him among the teams very best.

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