Carolina Hurricanes: Takeaways from Round 3 Loss to Boston Bruins

Bunch of Jerks

Don Cherry hated the Storm Surge, and that’s putting it lightly. The incensed hockey analyst was not a fan at all of the Storm Surge or the team that was behind it. Along with the fans that disliked the celebration, Don Cherry argued that it was ‘juvenile’, ‘bush league’, and ‘didn’t belong in the National Hockey League’ (make no mention of his outrageously flamboyant suits. But, I digress.).

Don Cherry then made what was perhaps the biggest mistake of his journalistic career: labelled the Hurricanes and their fans as a ‘Bunch of Jerks’. This was the single most influential rallying cry that has ever graced Raleigh, North Carolina and Canes fans around the world.

The moniker would go on to include the phrase ‘frontrunning jerks’, as Cherry was unhappy with the amount of popularity both the Storm Surge and his disdain for it brought to Carolina.

The team and the fans unified behind the moniker, took it from Don Cherry, and wore it like a badge of honor. And what a badge of honor it was. This season, the fans, the players, and the entire Carolina Hurricanes organization were more united than they have ever been. That bond isn’t going away anytime soon.

There are a vast number of positives to take away from this season, but the two mentioned in this article are, I believe, the most influential and most important to the team’s success this year.

I could go on for pages and pages about why the Hurricanes have a bright future, and the various other things that made this season absolutely magical. We’ll save those for another day, but I will leave you with this: The Carolina Hurricanes are back.

This season was a tremendous success, and there are so many things to look forward to from this franchise. The storm is just beginning to build, and I have a feeling it will be that much stronger next year. Take Warning, Caniacs. October will be here before you know it.

Question for CC Readers: What was the highlight of the season for you?