Six Carolina Hurricanes players have been assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL). Forwards Nicolas Blanchard, Zach Boychuk, Aaron Palushaj and Jared Staal; defenseman Michal Jordan; and goaltender Justin Peters, will join Charlotte’s training camp which opened Monday at Extreme Ice Center in Indian Trail, NC.
The Carolina Hurricanes open their 2013-14 season on Oct. 4 at PNC Arena against the Detroit Red Wings. Individual game tickets for all Carolina Hurricanes exhibition and regular-season games are on sale at the PNC Arena Box Office and via Ticketmaster. For information on 2013-14 Hurricanes ticket packages, please visit www.CarolinaHurricanes.com, or call 1-866-NHL-CANES.
The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that the team will offer two college ticket programs for the 2013-14 season.
Similar to past seasons’ college nights, ‘Canes College Select Nights presented by SciQuest will offer students with a valid .edu email address the opportunity to guarantee their seats in advance by purchasing discounted tickets for six pre-selected Friday night games.
Student tickets for the pre-selected games start at just $15 in the upper level. Lower-Level North and South end-zone seats will be available for $30, and Sideline Premier seats will cost $40. Each of the lower-level options offer $70 savings per seat. The first ‘Canes College Select Night is scheduled for Oct. 11 against Los Angeles, and discounted tickets will be available when tickets for the game go on sale on Sept. 6.
The five other ‘Canes College Select Nights are Nov. 15 against Anaheim, Dec. 20 against Washington, Jan. 24 against Ottawa, Feb. 7 against Florida and March 7 against the New York Rangers.
New for 2013-14 will be the ‘Canes College Rush, which will allow students the opportunity to purchase deeply discounted day-of-game tickets. Any remaining inventory will go on sale to students at the PNC Arena box office one hour before faceoff. At that time, all lower-level tickets will be priced at $25 and all upper-level Rex Wing tickets will cost $10.
To take advantage of the ‘Canes College Rush, students must show a valid college identification card at the box office window and immediately enter PNC Arena after purchasing their ticket. There is a one ticket purchase per student limit. Club level, club ledge, Lenovo Champions Club and standing-room only tickets are not available via the ‘Canes College Rush.
The Carolina Hurricanes open their 2013-14 season on Oct. 4 at PNC Arena against the Detroit Red Wings. Individual game tickets for all Carolina Hurricanes exhibition and regular-season games will go on sale to the general public on Sept. 6. For information on 2013-14 Hurricanes ticket packages, please visit www.CarolinaHurricanes.com, or call 1-866-NHL-CANES.
Ron FrancisThe National Hockey League arrived in North Carolina in 1997. Ron Francis, one of hockey’s all-time greats, followed a year later, becoming a pioneer for the sport in the state.
Now, Francis, who serves as the vice president of hockey operations for the Carolina Hurricanes, is a pioneer for the sport in the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, as he becomes the first hockey player to be inducted.
Francis, 50, is among 10 other inductees enshrined in the Hall of Fame’s 50th annual class.
“The Carolina Hurricanes mean so much to the state of North Carolina and our sports history,” said Don Fish, the executive director of the Hall of Fame. “Ron is a part of that heritage. It was time to include a champion. Ron Francis changed the face of hockey in this state.”
“It’s a tremendous honor and not one I take lightly,” Francis said. “This is a pretty impressive sports hall of fame, and to go in their 50th year is great.”
Stated simply, the mission of the Hall of Fame, which inducted its first class in 1963, is to “celebrate excellence and extraordinary achievement in athletics.” Francis certainly fits the bill.
In a storied career spanning 23 seasons with Hartford, Pittsburgh, Carolina and Toronto, Francis scored 549 goals and tallied 1,249 assists. His 1,798 points rank fourth in NHL history behind only Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Gordie Howe. Francis, a two-time Stanley Cup Champion with Pittsburgh (1991, 1992), spent 16 of his 23 seasons with the Hartford/Carolina franchise, establishing team records in games played (1,186), goals (382), assists (793) and points (1,175).
“I tell people that it seems like yesterday when it was 1998 and I signed here,” he said. “What intrigued me about the whole process was moving to a new market and the opportunity to sell our game. It’s our game that I firmly believe in, and it’s a tremendous sport. It’s been great to me in my life, and it was an opportunity for me to come back, give a little back to the game and promote it. Here we are 15 later, and I’m going into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame as a hockey player.”
Before Wednesday’s press conference, amidst a myriad of basketball and football greats, Francis was talking with Mildred Southern, who is heralded as the matriarch of tennis in the South. Southern said she was surprised to be inducted because she was a tennis player.
“I said, ‘Mildred, how do you think I feel? I played hockey,’” Francis joked.
In many ways, Francis could be considered the patriarch of hockey in North Carolina.
“He helped build an incredible foundation, and although he wasn’t there for the Stanley Cup, it was a Stanley Cup victory because of what he had done previously,” Fish said. “Being the first hockey player inducted is indeed an honor and well-deserved.”
Hockey was first formally recognized by the Hall of Fame in 2012, when the Hurricanes’ 2006 Stanley Cup Championship was honored as one of the Great Moments in state sports history.
And there will be more accolades to come. Likely soon to join Francis and the 299 others in the Hall of Fame will be Rod Brind’Amour and Jim Rutherford, who have already been nominated and considered as inductees.
“To be honored and have the opportunity to step in is tremendous, and I know I won’t be the last,” Francis said. “It’s great to be the first part of the team heading into the hall.”
As Francis paved the way for hockey in North Carolina, he has so paved the way for the sport in the Hall of Fame.
“We’ll see, over the course of history, a continual flow of hockey players that will be included in the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame,” Fish said.
“I think it’s only going to get better and better,” Francis said about the future of the sport in the state. “You see it in the youth hockey numbers. You see it in the level of teams that our community is putting on the ice. They go to different national tournaments now, and they’re not getting beat by six or eight or 10 goals; they’re competing, and they’re winning. I think that bodes well for the future of our sport going forward.”
Sport in the state of North Carolina has a rich and celebrated heritage. Francis had a foundational role in hockey’s success in the state shortly following the turn of the millennium. One day, perhaps hockey will be reminisced in the Hall of Fame with the fondness of other sports.
“Today is the first step, and it’s a good step for the organization and our sport,” Francis said.
“It’s a sport that is relatively new in time but is so popular,” Fish said. “No question about it: hockey will be recognized forever in this state.”
In a video released recently, North Carolina’s NHL Hockey team, the Carolina Hurricanes showed their support for gay and lesbian athletes. The video is part of the You Can Play campaign dedicated to ensuring equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation.
You Can Play works to guarantee that athletes are given a fair opportunity to compete, judged by other athletes and fans alike, only by what they contribute to the sport or their team’s success.The organization also seeks to challenge the culture of locker rooms and spectator areas by focusing only on an athlete’s skills, work ethic and competitive spirit.
According to the Carolina Hurricanes website, the Hurricanes’ video marks the first time a professional sports team in North Carolina has come forward with this type of message encouraging gay and lesbian inclusivity in professional athletics.
About the video, Hurricanes forward Kevin Westgarth said, “I think it’s fantastic that we’re moving forward and it lets whomever it may be feel more comfortable being themselves….You want people to feel comfortable being who they are and know it’s not going to affect what people think of them and what they’re able to do…if you’re good enough to play on my team, I want you on my team.”
Founded by Philadelphia Flyers scout Patrick Burke, You Can Play has had vocal and expansive support throughout hockey since its inception on March 9, 2012.
“To formalize it across the NHL and NHLPA is a great thing, and hopefully that is a beacon moving forward,” Westgarth said.
According to the league, the partnership between the NHL, NHLPA and You Can Play includes a broad pledge to education and training. You Can Play will conduct educational seminars at the league’s rookie symposium and will make its resources available for teams and players. The partnership also includes production and broadcast support of public service announcements.
At its core, the You Can Play project centers around respect – respect both in and out of the locker room – and the idea of judging athletes based on character and work ethic. Sport unites people of all backgrounds, races and culture together; exclusivity is not inherent, and inclusivity should be celebrated.
“It’s unfortunate it can’t just be right without saying anything,” Westgarth said. “But I think it’s very important now that we do it, and I think it’s a great step for us.”
The Carolina Hurricanes rallied from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead early in the third period only to see the New York Rangers score late in regulation and then in overtime to beat the Canes 4-3.
The Hurricanes tied their home finale on a wrist shot by Jiri Tlusty and a snap shot by Tuomo Ruutu in the second period. Things were looking up when Tlusty scored again, this time on an assist from Eric Staal, to start the third period.
But the Rangers’ Brad Richards scored at the 17 minute mark of the third period to tie it and force overtime.
New York’s Ryan Callahan scored three minutes into the overtime period for the win.
Carolina had only two shots on goal in the third period and finished with 21 shots compared to 38 by New York.
The Carolina Hurricanes have been losing but with great effort. That wasn’t the case Saturday night as the Canes fell 5-3 in a largely lackluster effort against the Philadelphia Flyers.
“Tonight was the first game in a long time that we’ve been disappointed with the effort and commitment with our guys,” Coach Kirk Muller said. “We’ve been praising them for awhile, and they’ve been going hard, playing hard and not getting the results, but tonight was probably the first time we’ve been disappointed with some of the guys not competing at the level we want to.”
More Muller on the Canes’ compete level: “They outworked us tonight,” he said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to come ready to play. You can’t take a night off in the NHL.”
The story recently has been that bounces simply haven’t gone in the Hurricanes’ favor. Rinse and repeat tonight, as Matt Read put the Flyers up 5-3 on a breakaway just seconds after Tuomo Ruutu nearly tied the game at four. “The hockey gods don’t like us a whole lot right now. You’ve got to work through that,” said Kevin Westgarth, who recorded his first point as a Hurricane with an assist on Justin Faulk’s second period goal. “We’ve got to make sure we’re better come next game.”
Playing in his 100th NHL game, Faulk scored his fifth goal of the season, a seeing-eye slap shot from the point. The sequence was initiated with a grinding shift from the fourth line of Westgarth, Tim Wallace and Nic Blanchard. Westgarth made a leaping play at the blue line to keep the puck, headed toward the net and – along with Blanchard – screened Steve Mason as Faulk ripped a shot. The goal extends Faulk’s point streak to a career-high four games. “He’s doing a lot of good things out there. That’s important for us to see, that he’s finishing up the season on a good, strong note,” Muller said of Faulk. “We need him to play at that level.”
Returning to the lineup after missing a game with an upper-body injury, Jeff Skinner potted the Canes’ first goal, his 13th of the season. The puck popped out into the slot, and Skinner hacked at the puck and beat a surprised Mason. Skinner has recorded goals in three of his last four games (and he only played a few minutes in that game he didn’t score in). “I just sort of closed my eyes and swung at it,” Skinner said with a smile.
The Hurricanes will travel to Tampa Bay for the last Southeast Division match-up with the Lightning Sunday evening. With the 6 p.m. start in a back-to-back situation, Muller said it’s likely that Dan Ellis will get the start in net. The Hurricanes will be dressed in their third jerseys for the seventh and final time this season tomorrow night in Tampa Bay.
The Carolina Hurricanes announced Tuesday the details of Fan Appreciation Week, which will be held in conjunction with the team’s final three regular-season home games, April 20-25.
In addition to the events and contests below, fans may enjoy a 50 percent discount off all merchandise at The Eye team store from April 20-25. Season ticket holders may get a jump on the special sale by showing their Season Ticket Holder ID card on Friday, April 19.
On Saturday, April 20, the team will celebrate “Stormy’s Birthday,” as the Hurricanes host the Philadelphia Flyers at 7 p.m. at PNC Arena. Beginning at 5 p.m., fans can enjoy a south plaza party featuring live music, an inflatable obstacle course, a Hurricanes moon bounce, street hockey, the slap shot booth, food and beverage and interactive sponsor booths.
All fans in attendance for the game will receive 2012-13 team posters, sponsored by the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program. The Hurricanes will sell limited-edition, “Stormy’s Birthday” mystery pucks at the Kids ‘N Community Foundation kiosk, signed by a mystery player and benefiting the Kids ‘N Community Foundation. And following the game, selected fans will be invited onto the ice to receive an authentic jersey directly from a Hurricanes player.
Fans can attempt to win a Tim Gleason jersey and two tickets to the Flyers game by entering the team’s Instagram contest. For more information on the Instagram contest, please visit this page. One fan will win Kevin Westgarth’s jersey through the team’s Canes Rewards program, which is explained here. During the game, fans can bid on Tuomo Ruutu’s jersey at the Kids ‘N Community Foundation kiosk located outside of section 129, or visit the promotions and fan development kiosk outside of section 108 through the second intermission, to enter to win the sweaters from Jay Harrison or Jiri Tlusty. Following the jersey-off-the-back ceremony, all fans are invited down to the ice to have their pictures taken at center ice or in the penalty box as part of “Snap Shot Saturday.” Participants must bring their own cameras.
Several more Canes Rewards contests will allow fans to enjoy once-in-a-lifetime experiences during the team’s home game on Tuesday, April 23, including a chance to sit on the team bench during pre-game warm-ups, to sound the “Hurricane Warning” siren or to watch one period from inside the television booth with Canes broadcasters John Forslund and Tripp Tracy.
Fans can enter to win four tickets and dinner to the game against the Islanders by entering the team’s “Family Fun Day” contest on Pinterest. Tuesday’s game will also mark the final College Night of the season, which allows college students to purchase discounted seats to games. Prior to Tuesday’s game, Hurricanes Alumnus and participant on CBS’s Amazing Race realty show Bates Battaglia will sign autographs and take photos outside of section 108 from 6-7 p.m.
The Hurricanes play their final home game of the 2012-13 season when they host the New York Rangers on Thursday, April 25. Fans can again enjoy a south plaza party prior to the game, beginning at 5 p.m. The first 15,000 fans in attendance will receive a Hurricanes hat, sponsored by Chevrolet. The Hurricanes will sell limited-edition, “Fan Appreciation” mystery pucks at the Kids ‘N Community Foundation kiosk, signed by a mystery player and benefiting the Kids ‘N Community Foundation.
Following the game, fans 18 and older can take a shot on goal from center ice, and be entered to win pizza for a year, in the Adult Slap Shot event presented by Papa John’s. Thursday night’s game is also the final Family Night of the season, featuring discounted tickets in select seating areas, $1 hot dogs and $2 sodas.
In their 24th of 48 regular-season games in this 2012-13 season, the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-3. Jiri Tlusty had a three-point night with two goals and an assist, Alexander Semin had a three-point night with a power-play goal and two assists and Chris Terry notched his first-career goal in his NHL debut.
“They came ready to play, and we had a great effort from everyone tonight,” said head coach Kirk Muller. “We were able to use four lines and six D, which was great.”
In a span of 24 hours, Terry earned his first NHL recall and made his NHL debut. He topped it off by scoring his first-career goal, as he became the first Hurricane to score in his debut since Brad Fast did so on April 4, 2004 in a 6-6 tie against Florida. On the scoring play, he was able to coral a bouncing puck before sliding it five-hole on Johan Hedberg. “It was a bouncing puck. I knew he was down, and I was just trying to make a move. After that, I don’t really know where it went in. I just remember standing there and watching it trickle across the red line,” he said. “It’s kind of a blur for me after I scored. I didn’t really know what to do, but it was definitely an exciting moment.”
Terry’s parents and sister were among the 18,680 at PNC Arena to witness the 23-year-old’s NHL debut. Muller was impressed with what he saw. “That’s a goal-scoring goal. That’s the hands that he has and the knack he has,” he said of Terry’s goal. “I’m very happy with his game, and I thought he put a great effort in tonight.”
After suffering from an illness, Dan Ellis made 31 saves in his fourth win of the season. He also recorded an assist on Tlusty’s first goal, a stretch pass to find Semin at the far blue line. It was the goaltender’s fourth-career helper and his first since Dec. 17, 2011 with Anaheim in a 5-3 loss to Winnipeg. “He’s been playing well this year,” Muller said of Ellis. “He was sick, he came back and he played strong here tonight.”
The Hurricanes were one-for-three on the power play tonight, as Semin netted a beauty of a goal in the first period. With his head up along the near boards, Corvo found Semin alone in front of Hedberg. Semin, who posted his fourth multi-point game in his last six games and seventh this season, deked Hedberg before dumping the puck in the back of the net. The key to the power-play success? Simplicity – a pass, a shot and a goal.
Carolina netted three goals in the middle frame, marking the seventh time they’ve potted three or more goals in one period this season; they’ve yet to lose a game when doing so. The team has won five of their last six games, and they are averaging 4.17 goals per game in that stretch.
Next week, the Hurricanes will play three straight divisional games: two against Washington and one against Tampa Bay. The team holds a four-point lead in the division, but they aren’t looking too far into the future. “I think we focus so much better when we take it one game at a time,” Muller said.
Carolina Hurricanes forward Jiri Tlusty scored twice during a three-goal, second-period outburst as his team dominated the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 4-1 win Thursday night at PNC Arena.
Tlusty finished with three points, as did Eric Staal, who contributed a goal and two assists. Alex Semin chipped in with a pair of helpers.
Cam Ward stopped 26 shots for his seventh win of the season. Ward saved his best of the night for the final minutes, stopping Sidney Crosby’s bid from the right post.
The Hurricanes benefitted from the return of four regulars to the lineup. Forwards Jeff Skinner and Tim Brent, and defensemen Tim Gleason and Jamie McBain all had missed multiple games.
The National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes today announced plans to host their second-annual Alumni Fantasy Game on Sunday, April 14 at 3 p.m. The event will provide fans a chance to get an NHL experience, skating in a game that includes Hurricanes alumni on the ice at PNC Arena. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Carolina Hurricanes Kids ‘N Community Foundation.
Currently, 12 Hurricanes alumni are scheduled to participate in the Alumni Fantasy Game: Ron Francis, Rod Brind’Amour, Glen Wesley, Cory Stillman, Bates Battaglia, Jesse Boulerice, Aaron Ward, Shane Willis, Robert Kron, Steve Halko, Steve Rice and Tripp Tracy. Participants will dress in the Hurricanes’ locker room and enjoy a game atmosphere in the arena, including Hurricanes Play-by-Play Announcer John Forslund’s call on the video board, Stormy, the Eye Care Associates Storm Squad and more. The Hurricanes’ coaching staff will work the benches for the game, which will be no-hitting, with three running-clock periods and full intermissions. Fans not participating on the ice are welcome to watch the game free of charge, with an optional contribution to the Kids ‘N Community Foundation at the door.
The entry fee for playing in the Alumni Fantasy Game is $3,000, and includes:
Participation in the game on the ice, and the full game-day player experience
Practice on the ice at PNC Arena on Saturday, April 13, followed by a team lunch
A personalized Hurricanes jersey with special Alumni Game patch
Two Champions Club tickets for the Hurricanes’ home game against the Boston Bruins on April 13
A DVD of the Alumni Fantasy Game, as called by John Forslund
Access for four people to a post-game cocktail reception following the Alumni Fantasy Game
There are spots for 26 players and three goaltenders to participate in the Alumni Fantasy Game. Those slots will go on sale to season ticket holders, suite holders and corporate partners at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28, and are first-come, first-served. Registration forms are available on CarolinaHurricanes.com, and eligible participants should send the forms to Shane Willis at 2013alumnigame@carolinahurricanes.com no earlier than 10 a.m. on Feb. 28, when that email account becomes active. Any remaining spots go on sale to the general public on Monday, March 4. Players must be at least 18 years old and have hockey-playing experience. Any questions about the event prior to the on-sale may be directed to Willis at shanew@carolinahurricanes.com.
The Kids ‘N Community Foundation provides much-needed funding to children’s charities and educational initiatives throughout North Carolina. The Foundation has funded scholarship programs, youth hockey, educational and literacy efforts, children’s health programs, the arts and other youth-related initiatives. In the Fall 2012 grant cycle, the Kids ‘N Community Foundation awarded $200,000 to four different children’s charities and foundations. Annually, the Foundation provides cash and in-kind contributions of more than $1 million to charitable and educational programs in North Carolina. Each member of the Hurricanes organization is actively involved in the community, and the Hurricanes take great pride in the ability to have a positive impact in the state. For more information on the Kids ‘N Community Foundation, please visit www.CarolinaHurricanes.com/foundation.
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Six Carolina Hurricanes players have been assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL). Forwards Nicolas Blanchard, Zach Boychuk, Aaron Palushaj and Jared Staal; defenseman Michal Jordan; and goaltender Justin Peters, will join Charlotte’s training camp which opened Monday at Extreme Ice Center in Indian Trail, NC.
