The weather outside in North Carolina is about as far from hockey weather as you'll possibly get, nearing all-time highs in some parts. Those highs are nearly as great as the feelings the Carolina Hurricanes felt nearly three weeks ago, when they captured the second Stanley Cup in franchise history. Their celebrations were a bit grander and more endless.
In honor of American Independence Day and the 250th birthday of the United States, it felt appropriate to try to devise the ultimate American roster for the franchise. Now, I'm more than grateful for all of the hard work and passion poured in by players from every nation. Without them, none of this would be possible. For today, we single out the Americans.
Coaching Staff
You might be a little surprised to know that there haven't been many Americans to stand behind the bench for the Carolina Hurricanes. In fact, there has only been one American head coach in Hurricanes history. He also happens to be the winningest American coach in league history and the head coach of the 2006 Stanley Cup team, Peter Laviolette.
Coaching the forwards would be Tom Rowe, and although he never played for the Canes, he was a long-time coach for their AHL teams before a three-year stint with the NHL club. For the defense, it's Tim Gleason, a former Hurricane on the ice and a Stanley Cup-winning assistant. Coaching up the goalies is Tom Barrasso, a Hockey Hall of Famer and a short-time Canes netminder.
Forwards
LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
Erik Cole | Matt Cullen | Chad Larose |
Bates Battaglia | Vincent Trocheck | Jackson Blake |
Eric Robinson | Derek Ryan | Stefan Noesen |
Paul Ranheim | Kevyn Adams | Patrick Dwyer |
Nathan Gerbe |
Believe it or not, it was pretty hard to put a list of 13 forwards together. However, when you break it down, it's quite a diverse group, representing 11 states and the District of Columbia. There's one player who stands head and heels above the rest. Erik Cole has twice as many points as any other American and is the only player born in the US with more than 100 goals.
Cole is joined on the top line by a pair of 2006 Stanley Cup teammates, Matt Cullen and Chad Larose, each of whom leads American Hurricanes in points at center and right wing, respectively. They represent three of the four forwards with 100 career points as Hurricanes. The fourth is Bates Battaglia with 150 points, and he kicks off the second line.
Given recent rumors, it's ironic that Vincent Trocheck slots in as the second-line center. On his right side is the first of five active Hurricanes, Jackson Blake, who will certainly assert himself as one of the best Americans in team history in the coming years. On the third line, the team boasts the speed of Eric Robinson, the face-off prowess of Derek Ryan, and the net-front presence of Stefan Noesen.
The fourth line doesn't feature the biggest names. Paul Ranheim was an original Hurricane, following the team from Hartford before three seasons in Raleigh. Kevyn Adams is another Stanley Cup champion whose best days were with the Canes. Patrick Dwyer trails only Cole and Larose in games with Carolina (416). Nathan Gerbe serves as the healthy extra, adding a fifth center to the team.
Defensemen
LD | RD |
|---|---|
Jaccob Slavin | Justin Faulk |
Brady Skjei | Brett Pesce |
Bret Hedican | Sean Hill |
Shayne Gostisbehere |
The defense was a little easier to figure out, with most of the roster comprised of active or recent Hurricanes, and there's a bit of a Minnesota flair to it. The top three Americans in games played all come from the blue line. The leader is Jaccob Slavin, who's the only defenseman with over 300 points in team history. When it comes to premier Canes defensemen, Slavin is at the top of the list.
Second and third in points and games played are two of his former defensive partners. I have Slavin paired with Justin Faulk, putting a familiar dynamic on the top pair. The second pair is also a very familiar one, returning Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce to the second pair for the Hurricanes. The duo played nearly four full seasons together before departing the team in 2024.
The final righty spot was also easy to pick. For many years, Sean Hill was the team's top offensive defenseman, leading all defensemen in team history in points before Faulk came along. The final spot on the left side was a tad tougher, but I decided to give Olympian and Stanley Cup champion Bret Hedican the nod over Shayne Gostisbehere, who'll take the seventh spot.
Goalies
Starter | Backup | EBUG |
|---|---|---|
Brandon Bussi | Alex Nedeljkovic | John Grahame |
The crop of goalies to pick from was also pretty scarce, with only nine Americans ever making an appearance for the Hurricanes since 1997. Only one of them has ever played 50 games. That was Scott Darling, and I'm sure the mention of his name alone will bring some bad flashbacks. With a limited number of options to pick from, I found it easier than I thought to find three names.
Leading the team onto the ice is the only American to win the Stanley Cup with the Canes, having done so with three straight wins in June against Vegas. Brandon Bussi has 14 more wins than the next closest American in team history, picking up 31 wins in 39 games this past season. It wasn't a tough call at all, with Bussi being the obvious choice.
Keeping with the theme of one-season studs, his backup is Alex Nedeljkovic. While he made appearances in the seasons prior, Nedeljkovic made his presence felt in 2021, leading the Canes to a division title and earning a Calder Trophy nomination. In case of emergency, I have John Grahame. Joining the team in 2006, he played two years with the Canes, winning 15 games.
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