On Sunday, the Carolina Hurricanes honored Eric Staal's career by retiring his #12 into the rafters as he was inducted into the Hurricanes Hall of Fame. The beautiful ceremony, emceed by color commentator Tripp Tracy, highlighted the value the former second overall pick provided to the organization. He's the franchise's leader in goals, assists, points, and games since relocation and owns several other records.
With his ceremony behind us, it's time to start speculating about who could be next. Instead of guessing for next season, I've decided to make a case for the next five inductees. I mentioned some of these names when I wrote about this last season, following Justin Williams' induction. However, there are some new players who I feel deserve their chance at immortality.
Should Be Considered
Arturs Irbe- Until Cam Ward came along, Irbe was the gold standard for goalies in the organization. I think there will come a time for Irbe to be honored, and it might be sooner than later. With Ward being honored in 2022, they might opt to wait a little longer to add another goalie.
Jeff O'Neill- Part of the original Hurricanes roster in 1997-98, O'Neill spent almost his entire career in the organization, breaking out a few seasons later. O'Neill is Top 10 in scoring since relocation and was a huge contributor to the 2002 Eastern Conference champion team.
Jussi Jokinen- I initially had Jokinen penciled in for the 2028-29 spot before changing my mind. It would be perfect to honor the 2009 team 20 years after their big playoff run. Jokinen was a major part of that run, scoring some of the biggest goals of their series with New Jersey.