6: Keith Primeau
Keith Primeau would replace the previously mentioned Kevin Dineen as team captain for the 1998-1999 season. Primeau’s lone season as captain was his final with the Hurricanes. And it was his potentially his best. He totaled 62 points which is down slightly from his 63 the previous season. But he upped his goal total from 26 to 30.
He also led the Hurricanes to their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs where they took on the Boston Bruins. Eventually loosing 4 games to 2.
But after the teams first trip to the playoffs, came his infamous contract dispute with the Hurricanes that caused him to miss the majority of the 1999-2000 season before being traded to Philadelphia for a 2000 second round draft pick, Jean-Marc Pelletier, and someone who we will talk about later.
It’s a shame that Primeau’s contract dispute and the trade that followed is what he’s best known for in Hurricanes history. Overall he played very well in his time with the Hurricanes. But a holdout that causes you to miss the majority of the season isn’t behavior becoming of a team captain in my personal opinion.
His teammate at the time, Gary Roberts openly criticized him for offers that he was rejecting the offers he was being presented. He told the Associated Press “He has hung his team out to dry.”
Now that the 90’s are out of the way, lets jump forward a bit to present day.