Removing Rod as Captain of the Hurricanes

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• bigfiddlepbc Jan 28, 2010
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  Location: Raleigh, NC
  Joined: Nov, 2009
  Posts: 65
  

  An equally shocking move - and I think the right and best move for the team - would be to make Ron Francis head coach, and demote Mo to some thing else. If the Karmanos are so loyal to him, put him in an office somewhere, but get him out from behind the bench. If that doesn't work get rid of the GM

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• edits Jan 28, 2010
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  Location: Clayton, NC
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  Trades, trades that will most likely involve fan favorites and most likely not the players that I have seen many posters calling to send on thir merry way. That's all. I know if anyone gets traded my daughters will be upset because they don't understand or refuse to understand that it is a business transaction. I didn't mean to imply that there was something going on that I may have been privy to, just making a comment. Enjoy the snow!
  
  

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• shepherdofwolves Jan 26, 2010
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  Location: Raleigh, NC
  Joined: Dec, 2009
  Posts: 640
  

  I totally agree with Kenny about the depth vs. the Caps/Pens. Back during the Cup run, and the following seasons, when we were healthy and had our full depth we were as good as anybody in the league. Injuries have been unfortunate, I think much of the reason the team failed to achieve such a high standard in Laviolette's last few years.
  
  Lav's system is dependent on having 3 quality scoring lines and a high-energy fourth line that can attack on the forecheck and in the corners. Eventually you'll wear down the other team's defenses and get openings for goals. This is why we were such a good third period team when Lav was the coach. Granted I can't complain with a Conference Finals run last year, but had Rutherford waited for our full compliment of guys to get healthy last season, namely Justin Williams, I think we would have gotten on a roll. Instead he fires Lav even though the team was above .500, and yeah, maybe it was a change that we can say was the right for the short term, as evidenced by the great run in the playoffs, but now?
  
  Always liked Maurice as a person. Back when we had little talent line to line I thought he did a great job in getting the Canes fighting for playoff contention as often as he did and getting the team to the finals. But that was then. That was the old NHL. Grind it out dump and chase big body hockey was a relative norm in the Eastern Conference. Nowadays I don't think the players are as motivated or as enthusiastic playing in that type of system as they would in Lav's system which has a faster pace. Mo's system works great in the playoffs, as it's easier for the players to reach down and grab every bit of energy/motivation they have to maintain their discipline, plus penalites are called less routinely, but it doesn't work as well in the regular season. Lav's is harder to sustain that type of consistent flow once the playoffs come around, but it's still possible. And it's certainly a lot more fun to watch.
  

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• kennywalters Jan 25, 2010
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  Location: Roxboro, NC
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  The point is that someone wanted to compare Ovechkin & Crosby to Staal and I rightly pointed out that you have to look at the talent on those teams. Their great numbers just don't come from their great individual effort or the quality of their linemates. Those teams are deeper than Carolina which makes it much harder for teams to line up their defensive units to always have their best on the floor against those two. With Carolina, not so much. Our offensive lines don't have the same quality depth and it makes it much easier for opposing defenses to match up against our best players.
  
  It is like asking Cam Ward to go out and win when we let the opposing team outshoot us by a 3:1 ratio. Some nights he'll be on his head and stopping everything and on other nights he's going to have a typical game in goal and the disparity in shots will lead to a loss.
  
  This team is hovering around last place because they're a last place team right now.

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• burnstock99 Jan 25, 2010
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  Location: Raleigh, NC
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  Its not about how many points a guys scores as to whether or not he deserves to wear the C. Its about committment and leadership. Staal is on a short list of about 3 guys who deserve it in my opinion. The other 2 players are Tim Gleason and even Cam Ward. Staal is a young man who is capable of great things. He has already shown us this. He's not afraid of the spotlight and all that entails. Brind'Amour hasn't been vocal this year in a season when they desperately needed something earlier on. The first test in a leader is to right the ship. Whether or not Staal can do this will not be obvious to us until the end of the season or the beginning of the next. The last test of a leader is to do what is best for the team and I think Rod gracefully did what was right. He will go down as the captain who won us the cup which all of us should be proud of.

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• dmarley2 Jan 23, 2010
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  Location: Fayetteville, NC
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  edits - what is about to transpire that is going to upset everybody?

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• Living Sacrifice Jan 22, 2010
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  Location: Timberlake, NC
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  Agree

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• kmyersraleigh Jan 21, 2010
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  Location: Raleigh, NC
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  Thank you - someone else who sees the light and sees who the real problem is

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• bjp018 Jan 21, 2010
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  Location: Apex, NC
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  This is unbelievable. Remove Rod was coming but not in the middle of the season. Replace him with Staal, unreal. Only once in his career has he had 100 points, not to mention that he is a minus for his career with the canes. if you want to look at crosby or ovechkin, their line mates are no top talent either. crosby has guerrin(almost 40)and dupree or anyone else. he manages to put 100+ points a year without the help on top talent. Malkin only plays on his line sparingly. I do like the canes and they have done a lot for the area but maybe it is time to look at the front office. They let peter go after rutherford supplied him with less than stellar talent, paul on the other hand has less talent than peter did. the coaches did not sign them, rutherford did. maybe it is time to also make a gm change. staal had to be made captain because of the money invested in him, not because of his talent. making that amount of money, he should be putting 100+ points a year regardless of who he plays for. as for rutherford, get rid of him.

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• kmyersraleigh Jan 21, 2010
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  Location: Raleigh, NC
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  Yes, I like many others, did see it coming. I simply think it is classless thing to do it to someone who will most likely retire, yet is still giving 100% as he is able. He is a very classy guy who will not complain because he will do what he feels is the best for the organization. As for surrounding Staal with "same talent as Crosby and Ovechkin" - I say stop with the excuses! Yes he played hurt, as do many others, but for the $$ he is making he should be performing better. Lets stop making excuses for him. It's getting VERY old. One again let's tear apart the team to "motivate" those remaining or replace the coach; better yet How about replace the GM!!!

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• kennywalters Jan 21, 2010
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  Location: Roxboro, NC
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  I'm shocked that people didn't see this coming. Roddy has already been a healthy scratch this year, so you should've known he had fallen out of favor somewhat. Give Staal the same surrounding talent as Crosby and Ovechkin and then compare the play among the 3 of them. Staal is an outstanding player and hopefully will wear the C for many, many years to come. I do feel bad for Rod, but he's a veteran and I would expect him to respond with nothing less than the considerable class he has always exhibited. Who knows, it may even serve as motivation and fuel his inner fire.

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• edits Jan 21, 2010
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  Location: Clayton, NC
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  I agree, but kmeyers has a right to an opinion. I personally think it was a good thing to do and the right time to do it. We don't know what happens behind the scenes and while hockey is entertainment for us it is a business for all NHL team owners and their respective general managers. I think that kmeyers will be more upset with what is about to transpire than Roddy losing the C and remaining with the organization until he retires. There are going to be A LOT of upset Caniacs.

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• SME2 Jan 21, 2010
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  Location: Wendell, NC
  Joined: Jul, 2008
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  You don't know any of what happens behind the scene. Eric Staal is the face and leader of this franchise.
  
  He has proved it through his commitment to be out on the ice night in and night out through all his injuries. He is also averaging a point a night almost...what more do you expect.
  
  If you don't like it take your money else where.

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• kmyersraleigh Jan 21, 2010
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  Location: Raleigh, NC
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  I was highly disappointed to see that Rod Brind'amour was replaced as Captain by Eric Staal in the middle of the season. What a slap in the face for a guy who gives 120%, 100% of the time. Why could they not wait until the end of the season to see IF Rod retires and then do it? Besides, it's not as if Eric Staal is at the Sidney Crosby/Ovechin level to begin with. As a long term fan and ticket holder, I am very disappointed to see such an unprofessional decision having been made.

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