All Entries in the "Jim Rutherford" Category
Canes Back To Flying Under The Radar
The expectations are low. Just look around the Web at the major sports sites or read the top publications and you’ll get an idea of how the Hurricanes are perceived heading into the season:
• The Hockey News: 8th in the East
• TSN.ca Preseason Power Ranking — 21st in the NHL
• Sportsnet.ca: 3rd in the Southeast
• [...]
Rutherford to Change Training Methods in Carolina
Hurricanes General Manager, Jim Rutherford is mandating change regarding the way Carolina players train off the ice. In a recent interview with TSN’s Darren Dreger, Rutherford says that any off-ice testing that increases the heart rate and puts stress on the body will no longer be allowed by the organization.
“Their bodies are screaming out, [...]
Carolina Injuries - Bad Training, Bad Skates, or Bad Luck?
Last week, the Carolina Hurricanes treatment room looked like a waiting line at a MASH unit. Ten players were nursing some type of injury. Things are looking better at the moment, but the injury bug is nothing new for the Canes and it’s starting to make fans as well as team management ask [...]
Leighton and Canes Hold on to 1-0 Win
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Philadelphia Flyers at the RBC yesterday by a score of 1-0. The victory was the first for the Canes this preseason and gave them an overall record of 1-3, with two more games to play.
Sergei Samsonov was the number one star of the game. Not only did he score [...]
No Easy Path for Rutherford - Mark Parrish on Speed Dial?
You have to feel for Justin Williams. To work so hard, only to have another set back like this one must be devastating. But not only is the winger’s injury tough on the skater himself, it obviously affects the whole organization.
For instance, Peter Laviolette’s job status is probably riding on the team’s success [...]
Goalie Rankings Peg Ward Near The Bottom
Maybe it’s for the best, because the last time Cam Ward had low expectations tagged to him, he turned around the Hurricanes’ first-round playoff series and eventually led Carolina to the Stanley Cup, along the way earning himself a Conn Smythe Trophy.
See, back then at the beginning of the 2005-06 season, Ward was a rookie [...]
Under Pressure - Laviolette Stress Free?
Hurricanes beat writer Chip Alexander recently wrote an interesting story for the News and Observer’s Sunday edition. It seems that Jim Rutherford has finally given coach Peter Laviolette a public vote of confidence, something that hasn’t happened since the end of last season.
“I don’t want to enter the season with anybody being under the [...]
Simple Plan: Staal Signs Seven-Year Extension
The Hurricanes locked up their franchise player today, inking 23-year-old center Eric Staal to a seven-year contract extension that will kick in starting in 2009-10. The deal is worth $57.75 million, an average of $8.25 million a season. He will earn $6 million in the first season of the contract, and the deal will hit [...]
Lengthy Staal Deal Imminent
The talk around Raleigh today is that Eric Staal is close to signing a major contract extension. The only remaining questions are, for how much and how long? Chip Alexander at LSB is reporting that it could be worth between 7 and 10 million per year.
This morning, Jim Rutherford was on 99.9 The [...]
Stat Predictions From The Hockey News: Some Fun, Some Curious
At the very back of the most recent issue of The Hockey News, this edition’s Inside The Numbers stats pack features some statistical predictions for the upcoming season. The staff took five categories and listed the top 35 in each. The categories are: Defenseman Points; Rookie Points; Goals; Goaltender Wins; 2009 UFA Points.
Let’s kick things [...]
TV Dinners - FSN Releases Broadcast Schedule
FSN South released their Carolina Hurricanes 65 game television broadcast package today, which will include the opening night contest at the RBC against the Florida Panthers. The network will broadcast 35 of the team’s 41 road games. John Forslund and Tripp Tracy will continue to work the booth for the [...]
Best And Worst Moves Of The Offseason
With all the vacant coaching positions filled, the draft over and the free agent market pretty well dried up — except for a few big names like Sakic, Shanahan and the Swede (I’m so sick of seeing his name, I can’t even bear to write it), it seems like a good time to look around [...]
Carolina Hurricanes- Partners with the Community
Have you ever stopped to think about what the value of an NHL team is to a community? It might be much more than you realize. About a month ago, Bomani Jones from “850 The Buzz” offered an opportunity for folk to call in and speak about this subject on his afternoon [...]
Canes Cash? It’s In The Bank
Let me start by saying that’s a seemingly unfair title for this entry. But in flipping through the latest issue of The Hockey News, I noticed a page that listed the top salaries (not cap hits, but actual salary) for the upcoming season, broken up into 15 goalies, defensemen and forwards.
Noticeably missing? Any Hurricanes. Carolina [...]
Wesley to be Honored February 17th
Get your tickets for the game on February 17th, 2009 against the Boston Bruins. The evening has been designated as Glen Wesley Night and his “number 2″ will officially be retired and lifted to the rafters preceeding that game.
What an appropriate opponent, since Wesley was originally drafted by the Bruins back in 1987 and [...]
Dazed and Confused - Jeff O’Neill Chatter
You have to give Luke DeCock some credit over at Lord Stanley’s Blog. During the past two days, he has stirred the Caniac Nation up into a frenzy, and it’s not even hockey season.
Monday, he brought up the subject of parking at the RBC, which nearly everyone has a complaint about. Tuesday evening [...]
Chad LaRose Signed for One Year
The Carolina Hurricanes just announced the signing of forward Chad LaRose to a one year contract for $875,000. The agreement will keep the two parties from entering into a salary arbitration hearing, which LaRose signed up for a couple of weeks ago.
Hurricanes General Manager Jim Rutherford said that the signing should be the final [...]
Movin’ On - What if LaRose Doesn’t Sign?
A good General Manager always has a plan B if the best laid plans don’t work out. If Chad LaRose gets a huge payout in arbitration that the Canes refuse to match and he moves on down the road, who else might be on Jim Rutherford’s radar screen that probably would meet the GM’s [...]
The Big Money - Reviewing Day One of “Crazy Daze”
Some NHL players must have felt like they just won the lottery yesterday. Let’s take a quick look around and review some of the deals finalized on day one. Agents are still partying as we speak.
Green signs in Washington for 21M over 4 years. (good deal for both sides)
Stuart signs in Detroit [...]
Tumbling Dice - Signing Free Agents is a Gamble
Tomorrow will be the beginning of a new era for several free agents who will receive a contract which will set them up for life. Many teams and their fans will be hoping that a key signing or two will be enough to put them into the top echelon of the NHL.
Sometimes it works [...]
Burnin’ For You - Which Free Agent Does Carolina Covet?
Obviously, the Carolina Hurricanes are in desperate need of defense. Earlier this week we looked over the team’s roster, reviewed possible trade scenarios, and examined where the Canes stood concerning their budget limitations.
We also mentioned in that article that we thought the new salary cap would be about $56 million. Yesterday, the NHL [...]
This Ain’t The Summer of Love - Buyouts, Qualifying Offers, and more
In stark contrast to Carolina’s Summer of 2006 when all contract negotiations seemed to go smoothly, players were re-signed without any hitches, coach’s contracts were extended, and love was in the air, so far the Summer of 2008 has had a couple of buyouts, minimum qualifying offers, a disputed buyout, and the inability to make [...]
Take It To The Limit - Canes and the Salary Cap
The Carolina Hurricanes roster is starting to take shape, and it’s not a pleasant sight for the Bank of Karmanos. With the recent signings of Tim Gleason and Tuomo Ruutu, the total number of possible, (or probable) roster players under contract is up to 18 at the present time.
Let’s take a closer look.
The following [...]
A Deeper Look - The Gleason and Hordichuk News
The Tim Gleason signing seems like a good one for both parties. Obviously, the blue-liner deserved a raise (he made $1,175,000 last year.) The new cap hit will be 2.75M for the next 4 years, which certainly won’t break the Hurricanes budget.
I think that Nashville’s signing of Ryan Suter a couple of [...]
Back in the Saddle Again - Jason Karmanos Rejoins Hurricanes
It was announced this morning that Jason Karmanos returned to the Carolina Hurricanes and was named Executive Director of Hockey Operations. Karmanos had previously served as Assistant General Manager, a post that Ron Francis holds now.
According to General Manager Jim Rutherford, the duo will be sharing duties and there is plenty of work [...]
Patience - Plenty of Work Ahead for Canes
So far this off season, new contract signings have been few and far between for the Carolina Hurricanes. Other than Sergei Samsonov, Trevor Gillies, Michael Leighton, and Patrick Eaves, the rest of the unsigned Canes are still waiting for contracts.
LSB recently reported that negotiations between Jim Rutherford and restricted free agents Tim Gleason [...]
Give a Little Bit - Leighton in, Hedican out, Lavi quiet
Reviewing some brief news….
Luke reported late yesterday that Michael Leighton will indeed be offered a one-way contract with the Canes for next season. This news isn’t shocking considering the goalie’s outstanding performance in Albany last season. He also performed well in training camp and during a brief stint during a call up with [...]
Glen Wesley Tribute
This is one of those times when I wish that I had some journalistic expertise so that I could write a proper article, because this person really deserves it.
Of course I’m referring to Glen Wesley.
If you wanted to paint a picture of a prototype athlete as well as a person, you couldn’t go wrong with [...]
Hurricanes Sign Patrick Eaves
The Carolina Hurricanes signed 24 year old, Patrick Eaves to a 3 year deal this morning. The contract will pay the young forward 1.1M in the first year, 1.4 in the second, and 1.7 in the third. Eaves spent much of last year hurt, but the Canes are obviously counting on [...]
Wasted - Blake Wheeler Says No to Gretzky
In a somewhat unusual move, 2004 draft pick Blake Wheeler, (5th overall), refused to sign an entry level contract with the Phoenix Coyotes and will be an unrestricted free agent come July 1st. The club had 4 years to sign the right-winger, but will lose rights to the player if the two parties can’t [...]
Heard it on the X - Quick Hit News
To keep current on Hurricanes related news…..
Drayson Bowman and the Spokane Chiefs won the Memorial Cup on Sunday. They beat Kitchener 4-1 and Bowman scored the game-winner. The young Canes prospect led the tournament with 6 goals scored.
The MVP of the tournament though was goalie Dustin Tokarski, who had 53 saves in the [...]
Back in Black - Laviolette Will Return
Carolina Hurricanes General Manager Jim Rutherford confirmed earlier today that coach Peter Laviolette will indeed return behind the bench next season for Carolina. Rutherford seemed a bit surprised by all the speculation about the coach’s future.
“This became a bigger issue than it needed to be, JR was quoted as saying. It seems like [...]
Say You, Say Me - Laviolette Still in Limbo
The News and Observer published a story this morning informing the masses that the long awaited trial of Carolina Head Coach Peter Laviolette, begins next week. The prosecuting attorney will be Jim Rutherford while Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos will acting as the judge, jury, and possible executioner.
Peter Laviolette will be defending himself.
Seriously, what the [...]
Back For More - The Forwards
This is the final segment of our end of year “Back For More” feature. We have already analyzed the defense and goaltending, next we will take a look at the forward position.
The Carolina Hurricanes are in the enviable position of having 10 or 11 forwards (either signed or RFA status), with top nine skill. [...]
Trading Huet Comes Back to Bite Gainey
Do you get the feeling that perhaps Montreal General Manager Bob Gainey traded away his team’s best chance at winning the Stanley Cup for a measly 2nd round draft pick? That is what probably happened when he decided to trade away ex-Canadiens goalie Cristobal Huet to Washington for a 2nd round pick.
One can [...]
Lay Your Hands On Me - Next Season Karmanos to be More Involved
In a recent report written by beat writer Luke DeCock, the sometimes “absentee” owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, Mr. Peter Karmanos has promised to be more active in the running of his NHL franchise this coming year. Karmanos is reportedly taking a lesser role at Compuware, his number one business interest and will [...]
Emotional Rescue - Rutherford Still Undecided on Coach
During the first week of April after the Carolina Hurricanes were eliminated from the playoffs, General Manager Jim Rutherford had a press conference in which he indicated that he was not going to meet with Hurricanes Coach, Peter Laviolette until after “emotions had settled down”, because he didn’t want to do anything rash without giving [...]
Stay - Samsonov Re-ups For 3 Years
One player who undoubtedly will be returning next year for the Carolina Hurricanes is Sergei Samsonov. Carolina General Manager, Jim Rutherford wasted no time in re-signing the talented and skilled Russian winger who scored 32 points in 38 games after he was picked up off waivers by the Canes about half way through [...]
Back For More - Who Returns on Defense Next Year?
It’s going to be a long off-season, but it’s never too early to start discussing what the Carolina Hurricanes will look like next year. One area where most fans would like to see some change is on the blueline. The aging Carolina defense seemed slow to react and was porous at times, [...]
Judgement Day - Carolina GM Continues Deliberation
The talk of the town is still about the status of Carolina Hurricanes head coach, Peter Laviolette and whether or not he will be fired. General Manager Jim Rutherford has said on more than one occasion during recent press conferences, that he is holding off on meeting with the coach because he is [...]
