Carolina Hurricanes: Head Coach of Year for Rod Brind’Amour

When the NHL announced the 2018-2019 Jack Adams nominees, Carolina Hurricanes Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour’s name was not included. This year, he has a chance to take home the award.

Last November of the 2018-2019 NHL season seemed bleak for the Carolina Hurricanes. The Buffalo Sabres were the best team in the NHL and the Hurricanes season felt way too familiar to the teams that missed the playoffs for nine straight years. Another season of rebuilding and disappointment seemed almost inevitable.

After the games, head coach Rod Brind’Amour post game interviews sounded the same. He would talk about the teams effort, needing to play their game, and continuing to have faith in the system. Rod Brind’Amour believed in this team. He believed in his players.

And the players believed in Rod. Soon enough the tides would turn for the Carolina Hurricanes, and fans would witness what they have been dreaming about for nine years: a return to the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.

If you had the chance to watch Rod Brind’Amour the player then you would know his leadership was more than noticeable. Before getting traded to the Hurricanes, he was an alternate captain for the Philadelphia Flyers. He would often wear the captain C on his jersey if Eric Lindros was out. So it made sense for him to become the Captain of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Rod Brind’Amour knows first hand the sacrifices an NHL player needs to make in order to win. He has been on both ends of the Stanley Cup finals. The taste of defeat lit a fire in him that caused him to push himself, and others around him to victory in 2006. Gary Bettman barely has the words out of his mouth before the Stanley Cup was in Rod’s hands and over his head.

Rod’s experience is an essential aspect to this team. A team who, until last year, has not been a playoff team. Rod is not afraid to hold players accountable for their actions on the ice. He does not sugar coat what they did wrong. Instead, he helps them learn from their mistakes in order to improve their play for the ultimate goal; Lord Stanley’s Silver Cup.

Last year’s playoff run was just a small taste of the Carolina Hurricanes’ potential. This team has the ability to take the top spot in the Metro division. At any part of the season, if the Hurricanes falter, Brind’Amour will remind the players to continue play their game. The rewards will come. The rewards could be not only a Jack Adams for Rod, but also a cup.

With how the team is already trending in the preseason, the Carolina Hurricanes should see postseason success once again. Many felt that Rod Brinamour was snubbed for a nomination last season. This season should see that corrected and the Legendary Future Hall of Famer add atleast one more trophy to his collection.