Rod Brind’amour has been the Carolina Hurricanes Head Coach for almost two seasons now, what makes him such a perfect fit for this bunch of jerks?
Rod Brind’amour is currently in his second NHL coaching season for the Carolina Hurricanes. He has accomplished so much in just two seasons. Let’s take a look at just how great he has been for the Hurricanes and how well respected of a figure he is. Let’s take a second and rewind in history.
The day: June 19th 2006
The place: A then titled RBC Center
The time: Around 11:00 PM
The atmosphere: One like none other. The biggest moment in Carolina Hurricanes history happening in the loudest arena in the NHL.
Rod Brind’amour stands at center ice as he is handed Lord Stanley himself by the commissioner of the National Hockey League: Gary Bettman.
Now fast forward to March 11th, 2020. The Canes currently sit in the 1st Wild Card spot of the NHL Standings and have about a 79% chance to make the 2020 NHL Playoffs (according to MoneyPuck). Or a 100% chance if the league skips over to the postseason.
In just his second NHL coaching season, Rod Brind’amour has truly made a name for himself and has helped take the Canes to very high limits. Let’s take a look at just how good he has been for this team.
On May 8th 2018, the Carolina Hurricanes hired Rod Brind’amour to fill in the shoes of now former NHL coach and someone without a job: Bill Peters.
Who was the new head coach? None other than a Hurricanes legend and retiree in #17 Rod Brind’amour. Before being named head coach, Rod had been both an assistant coach as well as development coach with the Hurricanes organization since June 7th 2011, after retiring from the NHL.
On May 8th 2018 though, he was given a very well deserved raise in the organization. Rod received a three-year contract to be the Head Coach for the Carolina Hurricanes.
When Tom Dundon became the new majority owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, he knew right away that Bill Peters contract would be ending and he would most likely have to look for a new head coach.
Dundon stated multiple times he was looking to bring “experience” into the Hurricanes organization with a new coach and not even a month after Peters resigned, Rod was rightfully handed the role.
No one else we'd rather have leading the charge https://t.co/W4X6QoLTzz
— Tom Dundon (@TDCanes) October 1, 2018
Since Rod has taken over as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes he has maintained a solid record of 84-54-12 which ranks first amongst Canes coaches in their first two seasons. The crazy thing is… this season isn’t even over yet. Even though, the NHL is currently on a break due to the Coronavirus 🙁 .
Let’s not forget though, in Rod’s first NHL coaching season, he not only brought the Canes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he guided the Canes all the way up to the Eastern Conference Finals, before being eliminated by the Boston Bruins.
When the 2019-2020 season started, the home opener between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens was quite a match-up. What many may not remember though, is how that crowd reacted when Rod Brind’amour was introduced before the game.
That pop for Rod...@Canes | #TakeWarning pic.twitter.com/Hsxel08EYq
— Bally Sports: Canes (@CanesOnBally) October 3, 2019
One thing that really makes Rod stand out compared to other coaches is that he is so well liked and respected all around the NHL, while only being in his second coaching season.
After the Bruins defeated the Hurricanes in the 2019 NHL Playoffs, Rod had a heartfelt moment with Bruins captain Zdeno Chara in the handshake line. Chara took to Instagram to share the moment with all and call Rod a “true leader” and “tough warrior”. It’s moments like these that truly prove how much leadership and charisma Rod has.
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When players from other NHL teams are traded to Carolina, one of the first things they always talk about is how much they “respect” Rod and his “leadership” aspect. He is arguably one of the most respected and well known figures in the NHL and that’s just one of the many reasons why he is the perfect fit for the Carolina Hurricanes.
With one more season left on Rod’s coaching contract after this year, it’s hard to come up with a reason why he doesn’t deserve a contract extension. He has gotten so much done in his first two seasons as head coach and I’d even argue that he’s done more than the past two Hurricanes coaches have done since 2011.
Question for CC Readers: What do you think about Rod Brind’amour? Does he deserve a contract extension after next season?