The Carolina Hurricanes are in the air and headed west for three games against the state of California, so now is a good time to get caught up on news around the team.
After Sunday’s overtime win against the Lightning and Monday’s scheduled day off, the Canes hit the ice at RCI this morning.
- As previously reported, after a not-great solo skate yesterday, Jordan Staal (IR concussion) was not at practice today and is not expected to travel with the team.
- Elias Lindholm (lower body) was back at practice in a no-contact jersey, will make the trip, and is still projected as day-to-day. When he returns to the lineup he’s expected to skate on the wing with Victor Rask and Jeff Skinner, which is where he practiced today.
- Matt Tennyson missed practice with a ‘maintenance day’ though reported to be nursing a minor lower body concern. With Ryan Murphy’s return from his conditioning stint, the Canes are carrying eight defensemen on the trip. Murphy is already in California with the Charlotte Checkers and will join the team there.
- Eddie Lack (IR concussion) has been spotted off the ice at RCI but there is no other update on his recovery.
- Bill Peters discussed much of the above plus comments on Phil Di Giuseppe, Viktor Stalberg, the penalty kill, and more in his post-practice media scrum [CH.com audio].
In other player news:
- On Jeff Skinner and not being one of the "young guys" anymore at 24 [NHL.com].
- He’s not the most heralded Finnish rookie this season, but Sebastian Aho is proving he belongs [SI.com]
- 100 games into his NHL career, Noah Hanifin’s maturity has earned him the trust of the coaches and allowed him to blossom as a pro [CH.com].
- From the top of the world (or at least the top of New York City), Brett Pesce discusses his NHL journey:
"I never thought this would be possible."
— FOX Sports Carolinas (@CanesOnFSCR) December 3, 2016
Pesce discusses his VIP @EmpireStateBldg experience and his hometown with @mikemaniscalco pic.twitter.com/8ACcQtFbkw
- It’s been a long path back to the NHL for Michael Leighton [NHL.com].
- And how about the renaissance of Cam Ward: is it confidence, resurgent performance, or just plain luck? [FanRag Sports]
In other team news in and around the quarter mark of the season:
- Hot off the press, Adam Gold talks with GM Ron Francis about organizational depth on the latest Canes Corner podcast [WRALSportsFan].
- Through the first 25 games, the Canes have kept their luggage and passports handy [N&O].
- The good and bad a quarter of the way through the Canes season [NSJ].
- Yep, third periods have been costly [TheHockeyWriters].
- The latest Cheaters Never Win podcast: Shots to the Head Edition [Section 328].
- Adam Gold gives the Canes a 22-game checkup [WRALSportsFan].
- Want to make someone’s holiday merrier? Tickets to an upcoming Hurricanes event make a great gift! Four-game holiday flex plans are available, along with tickets to Skate with the Canes (Jan. 24) and Casino Night (Feb. 22).
- Is it ever too early to start planning for next season? Might as well mark the calendars now, the Canes and Oilers are facing off in a preseason game at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon on Sep. 27, 2017 [CBC].
Finally... It’s been almost a month coming, but Roy Cooper is now officially the Governor-Elect for North Carolina. He changed his twitter profile to reflect his new role, but kept a very important component of his bio intact.
Happy to see Governor-Elect @RoyCooperNC kept that third note in his Twitter bio. Congrats, sir. pic.twitter.com/PEbCVgCOtm
— Mike Sundheim (@MikeSundheim) December 6, 2016