The Carolina Hurricanes May Now Be Carolina’s Premiere Organization

The Carolina Hurricanes have boasted an excellent season, establishing themselves as one of the premiere teams in the league’s toughest division; does this justify them as the state’s best run team?

It wasn’t long ago that the Carolina Panthers saw themselves in the Super Bowl. With one loss in the regular season and two of the league’s most dominant players, they were uniquely talented. Four seasons later, and that same Panthers team has all but evaporated under the heavy burden of time, expectation, and the evolution of the game.

When one considers the three major sports teams in Carolina, those being the Hornets, Panthers, and Hurricanes, the argument can be made that the Carolina Hurricanes may be the best of the bunch. It isn’t simply this season that begins to formulate the argument, or the season that preceded this one, but the organizational direction that begins to dictate the various ways in which the Hurricanes may, in fact, be better run.

Although, there is a vast difference in their respective sports, there is little difference in what makes a successful team in any athletic endeavor. Whether it be football, basketball, or hockey, there remains an emphasis on talent, coaching, and cohesiveness that allows any organization to become (and remain) dominant.

For any team, there is always an inherent need for talent; this doesn’t simply assume that any talent will suffice. Teams in today’s professional sports rely on superstardom for their organization to flourish. The Hurricanes, one could argue, have the greatest collection of talent when compared to any of their statewide peers.

The Carolina Hurricanes boast a team of stars. Arguably the best defenseman league-wide in Dougie Hamilton leads a blueline of defensive forces: Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, and Joel Edmundson; while surpassing the previous offensive talent of a player like Jake Gardiner.

The Forward group maintains a similar mix of stars and league recognized talent. Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Tervainen and Andrei Svechnikov lead a youthful and experienced core that is rounded out by veteran leadership in the likes of Jordan Staal and the recently returning Justin Williams.

This group of players rivals any collective roster in the Carolinas. The Hornets are in a state of transition, recovering from losing an All-Star, and building around young prospects who have neither proven themselves as NBA caliber stars, nor have been revered as top prospects.

The Panthers share a similar position, maintaining more experienced and accomplished veterans, but still sporting a roster riddled with uncertainty or injuries. With many of the veterans from their dominant 2015 season approaching the end of their prime years, the team looks all but set for an organizational rebuild.

The coaching of each respective team may also give the Hurricanes an edge. Rod Brind’Amour, in his second season, is responsible for two of the most successful starts in franchise history. He has an Eastern Conference Finals appearance under his belt in his first year as a head coach, and has maintained a competitive presence in the league’s toughest division.

The Hornets don’t share the same success in their coaches’ first two seasons. There have been mixed results to say the least. In a weak Eastern Conference, the Hornets haven’t been able to present a playoff-ready group to the NBA. The Panthers have hit the reset button as well following a poor year, exploring the college coaching ranks, and moving on from the incredible successful run that their previous head coach had orchestrated.

What may be the final component to a successful franchise is also where the Hurricanes seem to be the standard for other Carolinas teams; that being organizational cohesion. When Tom Dundon took over this team, he ensured that winning days where ahead. These winning days came from a clear vision of success, a reliance on the collective knowledge, and an emphasis on leadership and accountability.

Dundon hired an exceptional General Manager to incorporate these ideals, who, in turn, hired an exceptional coach who could put them into action. This cohesion, from the top down, is something that is currently lacking for both the Hornets and Panthers.

The Panthers have a new ownership group in place, and their current rebuilding status will, more likely than not, mean the necessity of trial and error. This group will look to set a staff in place, and then build an organization from the top down, but first time NFL owners traditionally have difficulty truly establishing what that organizational cohesion will look like.

The Hornets have been a perpetual mess since the team was bought by one of the greatest basketball players of all time. There is very little cohesion, and the team seems to run through general managers and head coaches as often as any NBA team. There is seemingly little planning, and the product on the court suffers from this lack of vision and commitment.

Only time will truly tell but, for now, it seems as though the Carolina Hurricanes are the measuring stick to which our other teams should be referencing. There is stability, the opportunity for longevity, the organizational patience to commit to a vision, and the trust from all parties.

The Carolina Hurricanes have given Carolina natives a reason to be optimistic, excited, and hopeful. There is little else for these die-hard fans to cheer on in recent seasons, but Dundon, Waddell, and Company have given us an outlet for our fandom. The last step is bringing Lord Stanley’s cup back to Raleigh.

Question for CC Readers: Do the Carolina Hurricanes have the brightest future of all three of Carolina’s professional sports teams?