Carolina Hurricanes: Recent News Has us Thankful for Rod Brind’Amour

Rod Brind’Amour has done a lot for the Carolina Hurricanes organization. Why exactly should fans of the Hurricanes be thankful for him?

Fans of the Carolina Hurricanes are seeing the benefits currently of having Rod Brind’Amour as a coach. He has the team well-conditioned and that has already proved to be a benefit to the Hurricanes.

In last years postseason, the Hurricanes didn’t look tired in the double overtime game seven win against the Washington Capitals. You could tell from that moment that Brind’Amour wanted his team to play hard no matter the circumstances.

Nothing outweighs what he was able to do for the Hurricanes as a player. When you think of Carolina Hurricanes greats, he is right at the top of the list. He is the reason I became a fan of the Hurricanes. He is the epitome of leadership and embodies what it means to be a Hurricane today.

Remember the 2005-06 season. Brind’Amour at 35 years old had 31 goals and 39 assists on the season, playing in 78 regular season games. In the Hurricanes Stanley Cup playoff run that year, Brind’Amour had 12 goals and 6 assists in 25 games. He did this playing approximately 24 minutes a game over the course of both the regular season and postseason.

Everyone knows how important he was to that team as a leader. He knew what it was like to play in the playoffs and against all odds he finally was able to hoist the cup. A memory that will last in Carolina Hurricanes lore forever.

Brind’Amour had done a spectacular job solidifying his trust with the players. He knows how to motivate his players and it has been reported that Brind’Amour is well respected in the locker room by the players. This is not an easy thing to do. After all he was Bill Peters’ assistant coach for years. But he has managed to connect with the players in a way no other coach has.

Remember the report about Brind’Amour doing a conditioning test that would have been good enough for him to play. Well if your head coach is very conditioned and keeps healthy habits, then you know as a player you should be doing the same too.

That adds to the respect he has as a coach. He prides in having a disciplined, well-conditioned team that plays hard for 60 minutes. That’s the type of coach Brind’Amour is. He knows what it is like to compete at a high level on the NHL level and he has a team full of talent.

It’s his job to get the very best out of his talent and he hasn’t disappointed a bit. He doesn’t sugarcoat things as well. If he sees something he doesn’t like, he is going to let the players hear it.

Just looking back at that game seven win again, Petr Mrazek went over to hug Brind’Amour after the win. These guys in interviews just show their love to him as a coach. But honestly to them he is more than that. He is just one of the guys.

Question for CC Readers: What are you most thankful for in Rod Brind’Amour‘s tenure with the Carolina Hurricanes?