Who Are the Carolina Hurricanes?

With the NHL playoffs just around the corner, FanHouse takes a look at some of the lesser-known teams that qualified. Friday's installment: the Carolina Hurricanes

When the Whalers left Hartford back in 1997 to become the Carolina Hurricanes, they left a lot of things behind: the best jerseys in the NHL, Brass Bonanza, and, perhaps, most importantly, a losing tradition. In their 18 seasons in Hartford, the Whalers qualified for the playoffs eight times, and only once advanced beyond the first round.

Since moving to Carolina, the team has played in the Stanley Cup Final twice (2002 and 2006) while ultimately winning it all during the 2005-06 campaign. Heading into the playoffs this year, the Hurricanes are one of the hottest teams in the NHL, steamrolling the opposition. So, who are these guys?



A first-round pick (25th overall) during the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, Cam Ward is the starting netminder of the Carolina Hurricanes, and at the age of 25 he already has his name on the Stanley Cup and owns a Conn Smythe Trophy. He's currently playing the best hockey of his career -- in the regular season -- and holds the ninth best goals against average in the NHL.

Interesting Cam Ward fact No. 1: Became the first rookie goalie to win the Stanley Cup since Patrick Roy did so in 1986 with the Montreal Canadiens.

Interesting Cam Ward fact No. 2: He owns a rec hockey team known as the Red Deer Jets. Their uniforms are replicas of the ones worn by the Winnipeg Jets prior to their move to Phoenix.



The second overall pick in 2003, Eric Staal is the foundation of the Carolina Hurricanes franchise, having scored 30 or more goals in four of his first five seasons in the league. On Thursday, he scored his 40th goal of the season, giving him the second 40-goal campaign of his career. During the 2008-09 season, he set a franchise record with four hat tricks, including a four-goal performance against the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 9-3 rout back on March 7, 2009.

Interesting Eric Staal fact No. 1: Has three brothers that were drafted by NHL teams: Jordan Staal (Pittsburgh Penguins), Marc Staal (New York Rangers) and Jared Staal (Phoenix Coyotes). Of course, you already knew this, because ...

Interesting Eric Staal fact No. 2: Fact No. 1 leads us to fact No. 2. Every time two of the Staal brothers face off in a game, it gets mentioned no fewer than 100 times per broadcast, leading to some creative hockey fans creating the Staal brothers drinking game. This, of course, is not to be confused with the drinking games played at the Staal family bachelor parties.




An 18-year veteran, Rod Brind'Amour has been a member of the Hurricanes since the 1999-2000 campaign, when he was acquired from the Flyers as part of the deal that sent Keith Primeau to Philadelphia. He's a two-time Selke Award winner as the league's top defensive forward, and has scored over 440 goals in his career.

Interesting Rod Brind'Amour fact No. 1: Has scored 28 shorthanded goals in his 18-year career, and once scored two on the same penalty kill in a playoff game in April, 1997.

Interesting Rod Brind'Amour fact No. 2: Making his NHL debut in a playoff game for the St. Louis Blues in 1989, Brind'Amour scored a goal on his first NHL shot.



Another grizzled veteran, Ray Whitney has 16 years NHL experience, having spent time with the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings and Carolina Hurricanes. Whitney has scored over 300 goals and will finish the regular season just eight games shy of 1,000 for his career.

Interesting Ray Whitney fact: Whitney was originally a second-round draft pick of the San Jose Sharks in 1991, and was a member of their inaugural team during the 1991-92 season, recording three assists in two games. Why is this interesting? Because he's the only member of that team to still be active in the NHL. Some other random members of that squad: Pat Falloon (leading scorer), Brian Mullen, Neil Wilkinson, Jeff Odgers, and Arturs Irbe. They went 17-58-5.



Acquired at the trade deadline in a four-team deal, Erik Cole is in his second stint with the Hurricanes. He spent the first six years of his career with the Hurricanes, and was a member of the 2005-06 Stanley Cup team. Late in that season, Cole was on the receiving end of a brutal, vicious hit from Brooks Orpik that resulted in him suffering a fractured vertebrae. Because Cole is a hockey player, he would return for Games 6 and 7 of the Stanley Cup Final as the Hurricanes defeated the Edmonton Oilers.

Interesting Erik Cole fact: He is the first player to attempt two penalty shots in the same game, turning the trick on November 9, 2005 against Martin Biron and the Buffalo Sabres. He went 1-for-2.



Paul Maurice was originally hired by the Whalers/Hurricanes franchise in 1995 when he was just 28 years old. He spent nine seasons behind the bench, before being fired during the 2003-04 season. In 2005, he was hired by the Maple Leafs and spent two uneventful seasons in Toronto. The Hurricanes hired him for a second stint this year, replacing Peter Laviolette.

Interesting Paul Maurice fact No. 1: He was selected 252nd overall -- the last player chosen -- in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Interesting Paul Maurice fact No.2: The story on how Paul Maurice started his coaching career:

Maurice, was an excess overager with the Spitfires when goalie Pat Jablonski was sent down by the St. Louis Blues. The Spits, then owned by Compuware maven Peter Karmanos, made Maurice an offer. The team could trade him, or, if he liked, he was welcome to try his luck behind the bench. Thus began a profitable relationship for both men. When Karmanos operated an OHL franchise in Detroit, Maurice skipped across the bridge and won the role as coach.

Ron Francis, currently serving as an assistant coach for the team, was a fixture with this franchise when it was based in Hartford, and returned to it as a member of the Hurricanes in 1998. A three-time winner of the Lady Byng trophy, a Selke Trophy winner, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. How can you not root for Ronny Franchise?

See also: Who Are The Columbus Blue Jackets?