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“We Like Our Group” Remarks Are Getting Old. Really. They Are.

By Chris Baker |
Jun 19, 2019; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Don Waddell is pictured on the red carpet during the 2019 NHL Awards at Mandalay Bay. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 19, 2019; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Don Waddell is pictured on the red carpet during the 2019 NHL Awards at Mandalay Bay. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

It’s getting old. Dr. Enuf Is Enough and I’ve had both when it comes to them. Even after what appears to be a dynamo pick of Bradly Nadeau in the first round, people are still snipping. Don Waddell’s “We like our group” is more than any of us know, and something any Canes fan needs to respect rather than stomach along with their veggies. “Who’s in charge here?” might have worked for the Grateful Dead, but that is the exception proving “We like our team” right.

Jun 28, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Carolina Hurricanes draft pick Bradly Nadeau talks with head coach Rod BrindAmour after being selected with the thirtieth pick in round one of the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 28, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Carolina Hurricanes draft pick Bradly Nadeau talks with head coach Rod BrindAmour after being selected with the thirtieth pick in round one of the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /

First and foremost “We like our group” tells the players on the ice they aren’t going anywhere. Have we forgotten the debacle of the Seth Jarvis trade rumors last year? Are our memories that short?

“We like our group” also breeds intense loyalty. That can be seen in Andrei Svechnikov’s reaction when he got hurt. Remember those? No one can convince me that any of the players hitting the ice wouldn’t go through a brick wall for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Finally, “We like our group” provides consistency. Having worked in a place where the only constant is inconsistency, that is huge. Organizations of any kind grow, develop, and ultimately get better when a group is able to work together for a period of time. Knowing your coworkers, with all their strengths and weaknesses, is paramount.

A revolving door of players, especially brought in to fix one tiny element of a team, is doomed to fail as a team. You really do not need an advanced degree in organizational management to figure that out. Common sense ought to tell you “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The Carolina Hurricanes went to the Eastern Conference Finals, thusly are hardly what I would call broken. If my math is correct there were only 4 teams in the Conference Finals and 28 that were not.

To paraphrase Crash Davis, “that’s good, in any league.”

So let’s cut the snide remarks about “We like our group.” They are trite, incorrect, and frankly getting old. When you’ve come up with something specific, or new, let me know. Until then, I’m going to hear “We like our group” as a clarion call for success in the future.

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