Hurricanes Beat Writer to Change Positions
by Bob Wage on Aug 16, 2008 9:04 PM EDT
13 comments
It was announced tonight that Luke DeCock will be stepping into a new role and will no longer be covering the Carolina Hurricanes on a full-time basis. DeCock has been the Canes beat writer since the fall of 2000. He posted an article in Lord Stanley's Blog this evening saying that he will now be a general sports columnist. Chip Alexander will be taking over the Hurricanes blog on the News and Observer, as well as taking over Luke's old duties covering the Hurricanes.
DeCock has always been the ultimate professional while covering the Canes and did a tremendous job. Fans will certainly miss him. On a personal level, I thank him again for doing a very interesting interview for the Canes Country Blog last year.
I'm sure that the writer will still have plenty to say about the Canes, even as a columnist, but his expertise reporting the daily happenings of the team will be difficult to replace.
Best of luck to Chip Alexander!
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Good article yesterday in Sporting News. Digs a little deeper than Drew did, and explains why former Hurricanes love the area and retire here, as well as continue to work for the franchise.
http://today.sportingnews.com/sportingnewstoday/20080816/?pg=31&u1=texterity&cookies=1
by marc on Aug 17, 2008 12:24 PM EDT reply actions
Luke did a pretty damn good job, IMO … that’s all I’ll say.
by Cory on Aug 17, 2008 11:25 PM EDT reply actions
Paladin-
You have to sign up and be a member to see the link. Go directly to the Sporting News home page to do so.
by Bubba on Aug 18, 2008 12:05 AM EDT reply actions
I cheated and dropped the cookies tag off and got in. Not that I mind signing up, just don’t like being made to. I will admit to thinking there may be just a tad of stretching it. “Former” players looks like if you drove through the parking lot you were a player. Barrasso for example, yup he played for us (and dam near everyone else, too) I think a whole season back in ‘02 ish. He’s down here because he works here now. Same with Ronnie, he could of had a job with about anyone, but like the article said he had great relations here.
Lemiux did the same.
Yzerman did the same.
Gretzky did the same.
Roy is getting into fights at the little league games he coaches (hope he has good seats)
Anyway, I think it’s more of a trend rather than a spot. Not that this isn’t a good spot, just some of the examples are a little weak. Bate’s owns a bar. So? Why sell an investment that works? Wesley is in because his resume for the job is tight, why not give it a shot? Think about Roddy, he’s going to be a part of something, why not the ‘Canes coaching staff? Do you think Detroit isn’t already making an office for Lidstrom in hopes he doesn’t go back to momma bear and will stay and help? I think the nhl has changed enough to players at the top are now so well rounded they get both sides of the game. Some that want to make the transition do.
My .02 is this is the result of the changes in the league and improvements in the players. You pay a dude 20mill. to billion or whatever over his carreer a chance to get some returns after the ice time is over is smart business. Barrasso, lot’s of exper. I think he’s a Pen, though. Dougie Weight is another guy like that. He’s in the twilight and bouncing around, but would you call him a ’Cane or maybe associate him with a team….say he captained for?
I think this is the pre-camp write anything you can type stuff.
It’s fine and I hope I rubbed somebody wrong and we get another good string going.
I just thought it was a stretch and a little weak.
I do think PK and JR are those type of guys, the type that rewards loyalty and works best with it.
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by Paladin6 on Aug 18, 2008 7:54 AM EDT reply actions
As an after thought, think about Lidstrom and the other Swedes, the Russians as a group, the Canadians, etc. They have had a great opportunity here in this league. The Russians now have a pretty big program. How many players have gone to the country of origin after the play time was over. Jagr (good riddance) and so many others have also done that. So I don’t think Carolina has any particular draw at all, I think we are just seeing it more.
Think about players that just hung it up.
Bet Hasek does nothing. Pronger will do nothing. Sundin is doing nothing. Many players decide to do squat.
I’ll be interested in what the group of Swedes does. They have emerged as a force, some of them have become rich. The Swedish league could get an influx of money and talent over the next decade.
I dunno, just me whining.
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by Paladin6 on Aug 18, 2008 8:04 AM EDT reply actions
Sorry about the bad link – the article just seemed to be a positive one for the area in a sea of bad press. Why would ANY hockey player live here / work here / spend time here if they didn’t enjoy the Triangle or find it a great place to live or work? Or if hockey were in such dire straits, as some farther north seem to believe? Even if they just passed through here as a player & stayed, that’s ONE MORE hockey player in the Triangle. The more the merrier, and the higher the level they played at the better.
by marc on Aug 18, 2008 9:52 AM EDT reply actions
Jagr has not gone to his country of origin – he is Czech, and he went to play in Russia. As someone who wears the year of the Czech uprising on his back, pretty sure he has no deep love for Russia ;)
Hasek has been running a Czech sporting clothing company for years, and he went back and did that. It wasn’t doing well so he shut most of it down.
by repenttokyo on Aug 18, 2008 9:52 AM EDT reply actions
Yeah, these guys make enough money (a lot of them) to write their own ticket after they retire. If they like the community that they played in, they’re going to stay. Why stay in a city that you don’t enjoy living in when you’re done? They don’t REALLY need the jobs. You’re right Paladin – MORE money does play a role, but most already have enough. Why stay in a place when you have something better in retirement lined up somewhere else? Like Messier and SC. He doesn’t stay in NY – and I don’t know what he does in Edmonton.
by marc on Aug 18, 2008 10:17 AM EDT reply actions
Repent, sort of my point. Jagr is playing in the next biggest money league after making his fortune here. “Mamma Bear” has new meaning with this being Russia, but, the Goldilocks analogy still works. Where he came from, he left as it was “too hard”, “too cold”, “too cheap”, something. So he comes here. Well, here you have to actually give a dam and play your hardest. That just ain’t jagr’s style so he goes back to mamma bear’s house looking for a little more pouridge. Then he is closer to home, still bringing down the big bucks and will look to retire “somewhere”.
Now, I don’t like jagr. He’s an uber talent, just doesn’t show up and really seems to not care about any team he’s on. Just my opinion, I don’t like the guy.
That said, if your from Russia, Scandnavia, Europe or anyplace across the pond. Your twilight years can be paid for at a comfy level and you are much closer to home. I can see alot of players taking jagr’s route and finishing up over there. Which leads into the Swedes kinda, the Swedish leagues while small are powerful. We have a pretty fair amount of high dollar Swedes in the NHL now. Can’t you see a few of them getting together and getting into Swede hockey with a passion?
As for Hasek, yup. I don’t know what he plans on doing, but, I don’t think he has much of a plan or anything lined up. He’s got the means to do whatever, wherever, I just don’t think his personality will bring him into a NHL club. I think he’s going to retire someplace nice and find something he likes to do. I don’t think he’s gonna dive into the business field again or any high stress situation.
I think he’s “retired” for real. I’d like to see him coach against Roy, but I’m a sadist.
I guess my perspective and posts were toward the premise that Carolina was somehow attracting players in thier post player era. I do not believe that to be the case. I don’t think we repel them anymore, but I think we see some fair retention and recruitment based on PK/JR. When compared to the afore mentioned across the pond opportunity’s at hand I don’t see Carolina being competative in “attracting” players in the post carreer arena. No secondary/semi pro, no checking leagues, just not a whole lot for guys that live and breath hockey. Don’t get me wrong, there is some and it is growing, but how many guys will the base accomodate? So were back to Bates owning a bar, he even visits now and again. I think that is a more accurate example of the areas position.
The previous articles inferredd that the area was sme kind of draw or was keeping players in the area due to “X”. There ain’t no “X”. After running through several hundred players, a few will stick. Ronny was a fantastic snag, but he could of gone to Lemiux and probably got the same job, you know? I think as the area grows, say we get to 10-15 sheets of ice and maybe some diff. league play, like real hockey, we may see more stay around. Think Bret Hedican and Kristy. I could see them opening a joint and turning out clinics and making a shitpile of money. Is this the area, do we have the base or does the RPK hold a better spot for them? I don’t know, but they are a good example of the type that if they were enthused with the area I think they would stay. World class figure skater and an NHL player with young kids, that’s what we want here and allow them to give back to the community by giving them an opportunity. If I owned a facility I would approach them with an idea. Maybe it’s just me, but that’s what’s lacking around the area. Promotion and maximizing opportunity. While the "Canes may have lost Bret, the area should and maybe the franchise should look to retain them in the area. The organization is far too closed lipped about what goes on and I am using Bret and family as an example to illustrate why I feel Carolina does not retain or have a whole lot of retention potential. How many more players can we accomodate, how many more bars will be bought?
Remember, I’m the devils advocate.
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by Paladin6 on Aug 18, 2008 10:28 AM EDT reply actions
BTW
McCabe trade?
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/hockey/panthers/sfl-pan081408,0,4147376.story?track=rss
Anyone confirm this?
The SE is getting tougher by the day.
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by Paladin6 on Aug 18, 2008 10:39 AM EDT reply actions
Paladin- I like the Devil’s advocate role. Makes me think and see things differently sometimes. I am an optimist when it comes to all things hockey, except for some of the business end – I like to play more than to analyze payroll and all of that money stuff (root of all evil). I think what attracts some retired NHL level players to the area is the family aspect of the Triangle. It is a great place to live & raise a family, and being able to work in the NHL while having your family in an awesome part of the country is the draw. I think Hedican & Yamaguchi left because of her family ties elsewhere, and the reason she didn’t start a skating school here is because she just had a child. I met her once in NYC at Skyrink – she was a really down to earth person. She was pretty active in child related community things in NC, but not in skating.
There are checking leagues, but they are few. My league had too many teams in the division this year, so they had to break it up even farther. 10 years ago, there were 5 times. Now there are 24. That is an exponential jump, and other rinks I play at occasionally have seen the same jump in teams and players. It was impossible for us to get some practice ice time – the schedule was full IN AUGUST! This is the first time that has happened. I also never expected to see street pickup games here the way I did in NY, Hartford and Buffalo, but I have happened upon a few & joined in. I see nothing but growth – maybe on the business side it’s different.
by marc on Aug 18, 2008 10:52 AM EDT reply actions
No, I totally agree with everything you said, just other side of the coin. It’s case and point though, we’re still a pretty small area, with only about 8 sheets (not bad per capita, though). It’s growing by leaps and bounds. I just don’t see a lot of room for many multi million dollar guys to stick around and be fruitful. I could see a couple more. Think Staal will be one? I don’t, Thunderbay is his home and when he’s done I bet he goes home. Now that’s obviously a long way off and with a wife and maybe a pack of kids his ties would be somewhat stronger, who’s to say?
What about McCabe?
The SE is starting to look like a battle ground in the making. I can’t wait to see how the first 20 games pan out. I couldn’t even make a guess on who has the lead in the SE, several teams could be dominant.
There can be only one….
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by Paladin6 on Aug 18, 2008 11:06 AM EDT reply actions
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