The Carolina Hurricanes are the Best Story in Sports

The Boss

Since Tom Dundon bought this team in 2017, the trajectory was set. Dundon was gaining control of a struggling franchise; a team that had difficulty filling the arena, and even greater difficulty finding any sort of sustainable success.

The team boasted a head coach and general manager that had proven unable to capitalize on potential, and had control of a roster that had no real evident, long-term plan. The team had no star player, had no league-wide recognizable talent, and was simply not good enough to succeed in todays NHL.

Dundon was staring down 10 years of playoff absence, and he wasn’t going to allow that to continue.

What strengthens the narrative of this season is how Dundon overcame the glaring discrepancies of this franchise. He made no qualms about it, this was his team, and he was going to be involved. The NHL world laughed at him, and assured him he would fail.

This didn’t bother the Dallas bred business man. He believed his system worked; a system predicated on contribution from all parties involved. The idea that decisions would not be made by one person, but by the collective.

Dundon emphasized true leadership; an emphasis that has come to solidify the talent and production that this team has exhibited thus far. This idea infiltrated the entire organization.

Seeing where this team came from, and how Dundon was perceived by the media, makes his success that much sweeter. He was told he would fail, and he has an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, and a team currently viewed as the NHL’s best.

This success, however, wouldn’t be possible without input from a true hockey man…

The New GM

Don Waddell is one of the greatest examples of perseverance and passion the NHL has to offer. The man epitomizes a true love for the game and its fans, and his success at his job always seems to stem from that love; but it is success that has followed years of mediocrity.

Waddell was never supposed to be an NHL general manager again. Every team had passed on him, they all had seen his past failures and wrote him off. He didn’t have a defining moment for which to hold his hat; but what he did have was experience and smarts.

Waddells career in Atlanta often goes unnoticed. Those Thrasher teams where never truly successful, making the playoffs once in 15 seasons. This failure, however, proved to be more about the organization as a whole, than Waddell as a GM.

Waddell wasn’t brought to Carolina for a hockey related position.  His ascension in the front office didn’t materialize from Waddell being hand-picked for that position; it happened because he was the best man for the job.

His previous failure, and even his reluctance to truly accept the position in Carolina, enhance the story of this season. Knowing that this team was, in part, built by an individual who has resurrected his career makes every act of managing wizardry that much more engrossing as spectators.

Thus far, Waddell has been masterful. He has drafted incredible talent with incredible value, he has taken some gambles on free agency that have panned out more often than not, and he’s implemented a system, alongside the coaching staff, that would breed success within the organization.

One of his greatest accomplishments since taking that general manager position, paramount to his other changes, is who he helped hired as head coach…

The Legend Behind the Bench

Just as Don Waddell was not Tom Dundon’s first choice to replace Ron Francis as general manager, it seems as though now head coach, Rod Brind’ Amour, started the 2018 offseason with an outside shot to be the teams next head coach.

Rod “The Bod” is synonymous with the Carolina Hurricanes. He is perhaps, in the eyes of most, still the face of the franchise. He is the icon, he is a legend, he is almost a Carolina folk hero. The man is a symbol of the greatest times in the history of this organization, and he is beloved by these fans.

There was trepidation when Brind’ Amour was being considered. For a man who was now so quintessentially Carolina, what if he failed? Should the team take a gamble on, not only an inexperienced head coach, but one who is so rooted in this community?

https://twitter.com/Canes/status/1181751425560387589

What has transpired since Dundon pulled the trigger on Carolina’s adopted son is the greatest two year start for any coach in Carolina Hurricanes, or Hartford Whalers, history. This is perhaps the greatest coaching display many Hurricanes fans have seen; easily the best since Peter Laviolette was the man in charge.

Rod was the vital piece to the transformation of this franchise. He was the catalyst; without him it all could fall apart. He was able to bridge the gap between Dundon, Waddell, and the players. he had one of the most important qualities that a team needs in a head coach; trust by all parties.

The players could trust management because they knew they could trust Rod, management could trust the players because they knew they could trust Rod. The greatest winner in all of this was always going to be the fans.

Many campaigned for the former Stanley Cup Champion to get the head coaching job and can now rejoice in their rightly placed faith. Rod was always cut out for this, but seeing his team ride the top of NHL power rankings around the nation just adds to the greatest story that sports is currently telling.

As great a narrative as Dundon, Waddell, and Brind’Amour have been, this story is only truly great because of these players…

The Boys

Dundon proved that his renegade perspective could be successful in a sport that cherishes tradition. Waddell stole back his career through sheer experience and smarts. Brind’Amour took his rightful place leading a franchise that he led to the promise land once before; being only smarter and more prepared.

Nobody, and I do mean nobody, is more responsible for the greatness of the Hurricanes story than the players themselves. These men have banded together, they have taken on all comers, they have looked in the face of adversity and demanded the best for themselves; a demand that has yielded tremendous results up to this point.

Think of the men that comprise this group; these aren’t prospects destined for hockey glory, and they aren’t individuals of extreme talent that cultivated a super team. This group is comprised of players who all have something to prove; they have all overcome adversity and have proven the falsity of the narratives placed against them.

Players like Jordan Staal. The former first round pick who had never really lived up to the individual success of his brother, and was regaining a captaincy he lost two seasons ago. Many questioned his ability to lead, while he has proven that his style of play can earn the respect and admiration from a young locker room.

Players like Erik Haula. A player on his third team before his 28th birthday.  He has produced over his career, but always seems underappreciated. A knee injury last season put his career in jeopardy, but thus far has looked every bit the 30-goal scorer he was in Vegas; if not more.

Players like Jake Gardiner, a talented player who has always produced at a high level but was too often maligned and attacked by a fanbase that was clamoring for a savior. Unrealistic expectations put Gardiner in a no-win situation. As a Member of the Carolina Hurricanes, however, Gardiner has been able to thrive playing his game, and contributing every shift.

Or a player like Dougie Hamilton. One of the best defensemen in the NHL, who has seemingly spent every season on the trade block. Dougie has found a home in Carolina. He has been one of the best players on the roster and has produced at an elite level that would see him as a lock for Norris consideration.

These players have forged their own path. They were never guaranteed their legacy, they are cementing it by the will of their own two hands, and the aid of their brothers in red. These men have defied the odds and have helped to build the chemistry that is necessary to lift hockey’s coveted trophy.

These people, and these players, have been a massive part of a worthy narrative; but they aren’t the only factors that make this season special…

The Caniacs

If you want to talk about overlooked, counted out, under appreciated, forgotten, dismissed, and ignored all together; look no further than the Carolina Hurricanes fanbase. We, the Caniacs, have given our fandom to this team, and the raucous crowd that floods PNC arena this year is the proof of that dedication.

For ten years this club was absent from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. More so than their absence was their clear lacking as a franchise. There was little direction, there was little raw talent, and there was little upside; the often talked about “rebuild” was moving at a rate that would make a snail jealous.

We watched every game, we watched every draft lottery, we watched every preseason; our fandom was taken for granted, until it barely existed. Attendance was down, and the league began to view the Carolina Hurricanes fans with the same disdain they viewed their beloved sport being taken to Carolina.

Last season the fandom was restored. A trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, a roster that had displayed growth and chemistry, a management group that made great decisions which paid dividends for the team, and a coaching staff that had proven to be reliable decision makers and excellent motivators.

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PNC Arena went from being a below average turn out, to being one of the toughest places to play in the NHL. A fanbase that was seemingly nonexistent has found their voice again. Their place as one of hockeys loudest houses has returned. The same crowd that cheered this team to victory in 2006, has returned with a vengeance.

What makes this season great, what makes this year the best story in sports, is how these things have all come together. The owner, the management, the coaches, the players, and the fans have created the perfect storm. This logo means something once again, and knowing the recent history makes this team a truly engrossing sports chronicle.

This story is far from over, and there is no telling how history will remember 2020’s greatest sports story.

Question for CC Readers: Will 2019-2020 season be remembered as Carolina’s year?