Classy Until the End, Rod Brind'Amour Puts Team First With Retirement

This guy has been and still is everything you would want in a player and person. A true leader who led by example. I could go on for paragraphs describing saying nothing but good things, but everything would boil down to your term “Classy.” Would like to see a Brindamoor memories listing where everyone could post the things they remember most about him, like remembering him taking about every important face-off in Cane history, his dance raising the Cup, etc. Great player and man.

When he talked about what he’d really miss was “his brothers” the family of the team, together in the room, the jokes, the sharing, it reminded me so of the description in “The Game” that Ken Dryden uses to explain the title of his book, and what hockey players miss so much in retirement. It’s not as much about what happens “on TV, on the ice”, but the experience of being part of a close-knit NHL (Stanley Cup winning) team that he’ll really miss.

I’m so glad he can be right there with the team going forward – I expect this will be a fantastic synergy. I’m really excited for him and what he’ll bring to all these kids coming up to Raleigh. I look forward to seeing him the way we do Francis, Wesley.

Last – they’ve just put up the link to Jim Rutherford’s teleconference which followed. (20+ minutes) Among many things, it struck me how this really was totally undecided until this morning. Rutherford said he regrets he couldn’t be there with him today.

Rod has as did & does Ron Francis so many intangables that he can and will bring to the team wether he is or would be a good will ambassador, goes off and looks & checks out prospects helps or over sees rookie camps …heck the list can and could go on & on…heck Rod may have left the roster, but his is still on “the Team”…so personally i feel that this is a win win situation all across the board…and thanks for that link…any blueberry muffins left ?

as i have posted, It is HIS decision…….May we keep him with us always teaching and coaching from here on out!……………ok, im at a loss for words now…………

Classy till the end… he did take one for the team, nevertheless glad to see him OFF the ice. Reminds me of a Bob Seger song… " Turn the page.."

One of my favorite memories comes from a local news feature on Rod’s crib back in around 2003 or 2004. This was after his divorce and his place was pretty empty with the exception of a coffee maker in nearly every room, a huge space filled with outdoor play equipment for his kids and a master bedroom with only one piece of furniture-a king size bed crafted from rough hewn logs. Bet that was a post-divorce purchase.

The way I see it is that he is retiring but by going through the buy-out process, Rod gets 2/3 of what his last contract would have paid ($3mil), paid over two years and will get a salary for the position he takes with the organization next year————so they are making his money close to being right.

Player budget for this year will have $2 mil more—-given our strict self imposed budget, that will be helpful.

Win-win, I think.

I can’t add anything that hasn’t already been said, I just want to say, thanks, Roddy, for everything you’ve done for the team, and being a hell of a guy all the way to retirement.

Good luck, and I look forward to seeing your continued presence in the organization!

I know lots of folks are going to be remembering their favorite Rod Brind’Amour moments, and I have far too many, even over and above all the memories of the magic that was the 2006 Stanley Cup…

My son sitting in his lap for a photo op at Skate with the Canes in 2007 (to this day Brindy is still his favorite). My first “conversation” with him, June 2007, at an autograph event when he was the celebrity opening the Belks mens store at Crabtree. He signed my jersey (replica of the one he wore when he hoisted the Cup), and I told him that even though I knew he was disappointed to be there instead of in the playoffs, I was looking forward to seeing him pick up his second Selke, to which he laughed and very humbly said it was an honor just to be nominated (he won of course). Camp Brind’Amour, which I suspect he will still run this summer, at least I hope he does, he’s great to watch with the younger players. Watching him stay late at practice to work on drills. Every practice without fail. Seeing his kids on the ice with him after practice on school holidays.

I wasn’t here before the 05-06 season so my history is limited, but outside the Cup run there’s a game that stands out in my mind that epitomizes what I thought of him as a player and a leader. It was on April 7, 2007. One season past the Cup and we missed the playoffs, and our last game of the season was a meaningless one at home against the Florida Panthers. At the end of the second period we were down 4-1, and scored 3 goals in the third to send the game into overtime. Couldn’t catch a break in OT, even had to defend a penalty shot (John Grahame was in net). Just when it looked like we were headed to a shootout, with barely anything left in the tank after having already played over 3 minutes in OT and at the end of a long shift, with 24 seconds left in OT Rod Brind’Amour gets a breakaway and somehow wills himself down the ice for the game winner. Afterwards he said he owed it to the fans to give them something to cheer about at the end of a dismal season.

He gave us plenty to cheer about on and off the ice. He’s the number one reason I became a hockey fan and a Hurricanes fan. He’ll always be one of my favorites in all of sports.

My Rod Brind’Amour album on flickr

Well, you can mark off Versteeg as a potential target for the Canes. He was traded to Toronto for a group of players including our 2009 1st round pick, Paradis. So roughly a year after being drafted, Paradis is already with his 3rd team. That kid looks to have one rough beginning to his NHL career.

I also looks like Leights has a nice new deal. He more than doubles his salary last year. He’s a nice guy and I’m glad he got a pretty good deal, but I think Philly is making a mistake. He had a good run last year, but I wouldn’t hang my season on Leighton and Boucher.

I know he was a Cane alot longer then he was a Flyer but the man just left behind such an imprint its undenible. I loved watching him when I was a kid and hated to see him traded. But the years Caroliina made the Cup and I was rooting all the way and could’nt have been happier with the out come of the Cup win.

That it seemed like the firm offer of a place in the front office didn’t come down until that fated morning conversation? It seemed like we all assumed it was there, but Rod seemed to think it was a bit up in the air at his press conference.