Last week I had the opportunity to ask Carolina Hurricanes head coach Paul Maurice a few questions.  As always, he was up front and candid with his responses. 

Would you describe defenseman Tomas Kaberle and tell us what he can bring to the table?

He's really a fine, heads up defenseman who can do great things with the puck and has great patience with the puck.  He was the guy who brought the puck up the ice during the powerplay in Toronto back when their powerplay was dominant.  And he's just a very good, all around player, a very good pro.  

It looks like one of the goals this season is to reduce Cam Ward's ice time a bit.  How do you go about working Brian Boucher into the mix more often than Justin Peters last season?

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Tony MacDonald is the Director of Amateur Scouting for the Carolina Hurricanes.  As the primary person responsible for the club's selections in the NHL Entry Draft, he has his finger on the pulse of the team's prospects.  This article is part one of a two part exclusive interview I had with MacDonald.  Today, we'll review the status of each of Carolina's top prospects.  Next up in part two, we'll talk about the combine and the upcoming draft.

Justin Faulk

We think he is right on track of where we want him to be.  He won a National Championship with Minnesota-Duluth before finishing up the year in Charlotte and played quite well in Charlotte.  I'm told that he finished the season on a strong note and made a successful adjustment to the pro game.   He'll have a chance to try to win a position on the Hurricanes in training camp. Whether he is ready for that at his young age or not, we'll find out.  But he'll probably play some games for the Hurricanes at some point next season, but you never know what will happen at training camp.  He's a kid that has developed quickly and he's someone that we have a lot of confidence in, regarding the future.

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Continued from Part One which can be found here.

Q. FSN has agreed to cover 65 games this year. Luke DeCock recently wrote an article claiming that there were "holes" in the coverage. How do you feel about the deal? Do you think the franchise will ever be in the position to have all 82 games covered?

A. Well, you would think that winning the Stanley Cup would make a difference. You know? I always used to say that if the team ever won the Cup, things would be different. Well, the team did win the Cup. But not much changed with FSN in their new deal. The deal is long term and there is significant money attached to it. I'm not sure how much it is, but the team is very happy with it. So that's good.

Would I like to see every game televised and would the fans? Absolutely. But unfortunately our carrier is based in Atlanta, with I think, more properties than any other FSN region in the country. They have the Predators, the Thrashers, the Hurricanes, the Bobcats, the Hawks, the Grizzlies, and the Atlanta Braves. We're fragmented because of that. Then you have all the college sports.

What needs to happen here someday, is that FSN, or actually, FS Carolina, as it will be called this year, they are going to brand it. But it doesn't necessarily mean that it's coming out of the Carolinas. They need to have a bureau here, they need to have a region here, so that the day when there will be more games broadcast can finally come. While 65 games is better than 55 and gets us close to the league average, or maybe even a bit above league average, the goal would be to get to 75 games and have the rest picked up nationally. Maybe someday we can get there.

Q. NHL officiating has been a major source of frustration for fans. The lack of consistency is frustrating to players. What would you do to improve officiating in the league?

A. I have always said this and I will continue to say it, if I was in charge, you know, that commissioner for a day type of thing, I would crew the officials. I would have four men crews and have them work together all season long, just like baseball. I would tell the guys, look, this is how we're going to do this. You guys are going to be rated and you are going to be promoted and granted playoff games based upon your ratings.

This would eventually sort itself out. This way the officials would continually work in tandem and would know each other's tendencies, and they could call the game accordingly. You wouldn't have Brad Watson working with one ref one night, and then someone completely different the next. Plus, the refs should have accountability. There should be a standard rating system which applies to everyone and if they continue to make mistakes, then there should be consequences.

If baseball can do this, I don't see why the NHL can't do it.

Q. If you could change one rule, what would it be?

A. I would take away the Instigator. You know, I understand the reasoning for the rule and that the league is trying to be politically correct regarding violence and all that, but if players were allowed to police themselves it would take away a lot of the gutless behavior I have seen out on the ice in recent years.

Like when Orpik hit Cole. no one jumped him because they knew it would have put the team in a bad position because of the instigator rule. But I'm telling you right now, if players had to think twice about their behavior because they knew there would be immediate retribution after something like that, I think that it would keep the cheap shots down to a minimum.

Again, I know that some people are against any type of violence and the league is trying to trend away from it, but people have to realize, there is a place for it in the game and a reason for it. If the players knew there would be retribution, these things wouldn't happen.

Q. One last question. You are no stranger to blogging and have had blogs on Carolina Hurricanes.com and WRAL.com. Any plans to blog again this coming season?

A. Actually, yes I will be blogging for WRAL.com again this season. We are just finishing up the details and everything could be completed in a matter of days. So start to look for more activity on "An EYE on the Canes". It seems that WRAL felt that it was popular enough and wanted to do it again.

I admit, I am not a professional writer. I try to keep it casual and offer something different that fans won't find from the beat writers or other blog sites out there. But it is time consuming, as you well know, and I need to make my articles shorter when I write them. I don't think people realize the time involved. They see me on the air and that's it, but there is prep work for every game that people never see.

Q. I think the fans really enjoy your blog and they will be happy to hear the news.

A. Thanks Bob, and by the way that's the reason why I sent you that email. I think that you guys do a great job, I really do. I'm aware of all the blogs out there, I enjoy keeping up with them. But I like your content, it's very thorough and complete. I've been reading for awhile and I love the new design as well. I hope you keep up the good work.

Q. Thank you very much John, coming from you that means a lot. And thanks again for taking the time to do the interview.

A. You're very welcome. Have a great season now!

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We receive emails everyday from a variety of sources, but last week I found one in the inbox which was a bit of a surprise. John Forslund sent an email, complimenting us on having a great blog site. Now there is something that you don't see everyday!

Of course, I replied and thanked John for the kind words, but being the greedy person that I am I couldn't stop there. I had to ask him for an interview.

As everyone knows, Forslund is the television play-by-play announcer for the Carolina Hurricanes and has been with the franchise for 17 years now. He's done such an outstanding job for the Canes that he has also been called upon to work for Versus and ESPN. For his complete biography, check out this link.

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Q. John, thank you for taking the time for this interview. I would like to start out with a couple of background questions. Your bio states that you have a Masters Degree in Athletic Management. How did you make the transition to broadcasting and why?

A. I guess I took a bit of a different route, but when I was 8 or 10 years old I was from Springfield, Massachusetts and the Boston Bruins won the Cup, I guess it was 1970. I distinctly remember watching the game where Bobby Orr scored that overtime goal to beat the St. Louis Blues and I started to develop an affinity for hockey at that time. I loved the pace of the game, and I loved the way the announcers called it. Fred Cusick called the game for the Bruins at the time and he was a big influence on me. Like many kids who have this interest, I started calling the games off of the TV. We were able to get all the Bruins games, and I would call the games in mock fashion while my dad would do the color. We did that for a number of years and I put that experience in my back pocket.

I really enjoyed sports, of course participated in athletics, and was kind of steered more toward education, to be a "phys ed" teacher or a coach. But at the time, physical education programs were being cut back, so I started to have my doubts about that profession. I always had a dream to be an announcer, I just didn't know how to go about doing it. While in school I took one course in broadcast journalism. While many of the students were considering the class to be an easy elective, I took it seriously. On my final, I was supposed to call the 1981 Super Bowl. I prepped for it, called it, and made enough of an impression on my teacher that he told me if I ever had an opportunity to do this for a living, I should take it.

I continued school as a grad at Adelphi, majoring in Sports Management. It was a growing field and there seemed to be more of a chance for income, plus I could stay in sports. I got an internship for an AHL team and the owner asked me if I had any broadcast experience, had I ever called a hockey game before, and I said yes I have. This is a true story. They never checked references or asked any follow-up questions, or anything like that. So he asked me as part of my internship if I could do some color and help out his play-by-play guy who was a little green. He hired me later that year, during the 1984-85 season and I worked for him for 7 years, then was hired by the Whalers in 1991.

I never lost sight of what I wanted to do. I used to ask guidance counselors in school, how do I become an announcer, and they used to laugh and say good luck. But things fell into place for me. I wasn't making any money for seven years in the minors and I was doing a variety of jobs, like selling tickets, selling advertising, I did PR, I did everything. There was only a four person front office. Broadcasting was the last thing that my owner was concerned about, but it was the most important thing to me. In 1991, I had to make a career decision. I wasn't making any money in the minors so I decided to take a chance on the Whalers and kind of back-doored into what I'm doing now. But that gave me an opportunity to work in the National Hockey League, so that's how this thing kind of got going.

Q. According to Multichannel.com, you have signed on to work for Versus again next year. I was wondering how that agreement with Versus coincides with your commitment to the Hurricanes and FSN?

A. Well, I have signed with the Hurricanes. Some people ask, are you employed by FSN or the Hurricanes, and I do work for the Canes first and foremost. I can't back out of that, I am required to broadcast any game that is televised. What happens with the Versus deal is that they usually use people already affiliated with teams now. They don't hire special announcers, like say an ESPN would. So as of right now, I am one of the few guys who are under contract with Versus. For the last two years I was a freelancer, more or less a plugin wherever they needed me, and that was fine. But this year, they offered me a three year commitment with a guaranteed number of games per season, plus playoffs. I signed that deal, so I am one of them now as well.

This season I'm looking at doing 17 regular season games for them, starting with the October 5th game between Tampa Bay and the Rangers in the Czech Republic, although we will be calling the game from stateside. Last year Versus took the whole broadcast from Canada, but this year they will be taking the pictures in Europe, and they will be adding our announcing from stateside. Again, that will be on October 5th.

Q. Congratulations on that John! Versus recently announced their schedule, and the Canes are only going to be shown once this season. Any chance on using your influence to upgrade the Hurricanes from being shown just one time on the network next year?

A. Thanks. Well, I hope so. The funny thing is, they love doing games here. If they had their way, they would do more here. Raleigh is one of the places they like to come, from a professional standpoint. The crews that they get to work here are great. The atmosphere in the building is great. The weather is nice. They really like coming here. But the way they schedule their games is based strictly on a local ratings basis. For instance, it wouldn't matter if the Hurricanes were better than the Sabres, Buffalo does a huge number. I believe they have put Versus in more cable homes over the past two years than any other market. We need to get to the point where the local numbers justify them doing more games here.

They are doing the Rangers game here on March 9th and I'm calling that game, which is good because they are giving me the chance to do a game here. But that's it. You know, Pittsburgh is on because they are Pittsburgh and Detroit is on because they are Detroit. Even a market like Colorado. They do a very good job locally for Versus, so they are going to get more games.

Q. Last year I interviewed a few folk in the local media, and many of them mentioned that they felt the NHL would be better served to have a presence on ESPN. Considering that ESPN reaches more households than Versus, what is your opinion about that?

A. That's an accurate statement, there's no question that ESPN reaches more households than Versus. But let's go back in time for a bit here. Back in the early 90's when they started ESPN2, what was the one league they could sink their teeth into at the time to get them off the ground? It was the NHL. They put regular season games and playoff games on ESPN2 because they lacked inventory and they could do that. So then ESPN swelled and ESPN2 swelled, they combined with ABC and that was a sweetheart deal, but things started to take a downturn a couple of years before the lockout regarding NHL coverage. At least in my opinion.

I think it would be great to be on ESPN. It's a prestigious thing, but it's not the first and foremost thing that they are worried about. When ESPN started signing the NFL, the NBA, and baseball, which they did not have in the 90's, now they have so many mouths to feed you wonder where they sit. And if you recall Bob, their intermissions started to become billboards for other sports. There was nothing going on between periods that promoted hockey and there was nothing going on between periods that was analytical about hockey.

So then what did we do as a league? We locked out the fans. So when you lock out the fans for a season, where are you going to go? And before they did that, they signed a no rights agreement with NBC. So right away ESPN said that hey, if you are in bed with NBC for no rights, you expect us to pay you millions of dollars? Fat chance.

So really, I don't think that Bettman had any alternative but to go to Comcast and Ed Snider, who owns the Flyers and Comcast, and NBC. So they said, here is the Outdoor Network, we're going to change it to Versus, put it in as many cable homes as we can, and we want to make this a 24/7 sports network. That's their dream, if they can ever get there. They are using major league hockey as a property to get there, and things have increased. I think it was 60 million, and now it's just under 100 million homes they are in right now. It's found in more hotels, we see around the league as we travel, and in more bars. It's still a struggle, but I just think that it's an easy answer to say we should be on ESPN. I think in the long term, this is better. Its growing, and I think it's growing in the way the league wants it to.

Q. I have read a couple of reports indicating that the NHL might sign up to have games on ESPN as well as Versus. Is that possible?

A. Right now Versus has exclusive rights, along with NBC. So what would have to happen here is that ESPN would have to buy the rights to televise a game from Versus. But I think that it's a distinct possibility that this could eventually be like the NBA, where they are televised by TNT and ESPN. You could have Versus and then have some games on ESPN as well.

There has been talk about having one game on ESPN and I think that is a stand alone game. But the league isn't sure what network it will be on. They were saying that it might be on ESPN2, it might be on Classic, or maybe even ESPNU. Who knows? You have to work all through that stuff. But for the next three years, Monday and Tuesday nights are for Versus. This year it is exclusive, they plan on it being exclusive for the next three years as well, but that could change.

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(This interview is pretty lengthy, so I'm going to break it up into two parts. Tomorrow, you can read about John and his take on "the instigator", how he feels about the FSN broadcast deal, his ideas about how to improve officiating, and whether or not he will continue blogging for WRAL. Spoiler, "An Eye on the Canes" will live for another year.)

Again, many thanks to John Forslund for his time and for not pulling any punches in the process.

(Part Two now posted and can be found here.)

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Several readers have been asking about the current status of some of the injured Canes who were either unable to play, or who were not skating at 100% when the season unceremoniously came to an end last April. I decided to attempt to get in touch with the organization, to see if I could find out any updated information.

After making contact, I was fortunate enough to be connected with Peter Friesen, the Head Athletic Therapist/Strength Conditioning Coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. What better person to talk to regarding the team's injuries?

I started off by asking Friesen if he could give me an up-to-date status report on each of Carolina's injured players.

Rod Brind'Amour- (PF)-The knee is doing extremely well and Rod is back to probably working out harder than anyone else on the team. I know that currently he is skating at least 2-3 times a week and we fully expect him to be at 100% when he comes to camp in September.

Justin Williams- (PF)-Justin's knee is also doing very well and he is working out regularly. Justin actually would have been able to play in the playoffs if the Canes could have qualified. (CC- what about his back which was injured against Washington?) His back situation was just a minor muscle strain which he had fully recuperated from within 5 days or so after the incident.

Ray Whitney-(PF)- Ray was suffering from bursitus, which affected the bone on the inside of his ankle. The decision was made to remove the bursa before the end of the season, but it was still extremely painful for Ray to even put on his skate. He withdrew from the World Championships because there was still pain, but the ankle has since completely healed and Ray is now at 100%.

Matt Cullen- (PF)-Matt still has some reprecutions from those 2 major hits he took during the season. He has seen some specialists and his tests have come back okay. He is back on the ice, is working out, and skates 2-3 times a week, but he is not at 100% yet. His condition keeps improving though and we expect him to be ready for action come September.

Frantisek Kaberle- (PF)-Frank had some minor surgery done on his shoulder. It was a very common surgery that many hockey players get in the offseason. There is a small bone at the end of the clavicle, on the collarbone near the AC joint which was removed. The operation was a success, the shoulder has healed, and Frank should be 100% when he comes to training camp.

Patrick Eaves- (PF)-Patrick actually had the exact same operation that Frank Kaberle had. It was also successful, so Patrick will be ready for training camp as well.

David Tanabe- (PF)-David is still not 100%. It has been very slow resolving his issues and he has seen several specialists and had several MRI's, but they have not been able to identify any specific problem. Yet he still suffers from symptoms. Concussions are the toughest things to treat because you can't put your finger on any particular thing and correct it, like you can most ailments. Sometimes all the tests come back looking fine, but the player still suffers from symptoms and nothing can be done to identify or treat the problem. David is attempting light workouts and will wait to see how he feels in September.

CC- How much input do you have regarding who makes the team during training camp? Is a player's conditioning part of the evaluation process?

(PF)- I really have very little to do with that decision-making process. As you know, contract status is the primary factor regarding who makes the team. Talent on the ice usually takes precedence over conditioning, although if a decision comes down to 2 players who are pretty equal at the end of camp, we would probably choose the player who has the best conditioning and work ethic.

CC- What is the typical procedure used to determine whether or not a player is deemed healthy enough to return to the ice after an injury?

(PF)- The decision basically comes down to three things. First of all, the player's condition needs to be approved by the medical physician. They need to be completely healed, health-wise before they are allowed to play again.

Then it is up to me to make sure the player is game-ready. I usually put the player through some tests in practice to see if they are capable of performing under certain conditions.

Finally, it's up to the athlete. First and foremost, they need to feel 100% comfortable out on the ice.

CC- Were all of these procedures followed at the end of the season? Specifically speaking, when Matt Cullen and Ray Whitney played?

(PF)- I thought you might have been alluding to that! Look, there is a gray area regarding this. These players play with injuries all the time. Look at the Stanley Cup Finals. Much of the team was playing through some sort of injury.

Those last couple of games were huge for the team and these players. All we needed were a couple of points, and we would have been in the playoffs. Matt and Ray wanted to be out there badly. They were both medically cleared to play. Matt was given all the standard tests and nothing showed up. He passed them all.

In the end, it's the coach's decision. Ray Whitney is a phenomenal talent. Even at 75%, he is probably better than the player who would take his place.

CC- It seems like the franchise has suffered from an inordinate number of injuries and man-games lost during the past couple of years. Has the organization looked at this? Do you have any explanation, or is it just bad luck?

(PF)- One thing I can assure you, it is not because of lack of fitness. I have interviewed several players and different teams around the league, and I honestly believe that our team is the among the fittest, if not the most fit in the NHL. But are we too fit? Do we skate too hard and too fast? Is it our style of play? I don't know.

I think that it's a very complex issue related to many things. Perhaps the way we play the game has something to do with it? For instance, let's say that your goalie doesn't play the puck very often, so the defensemen always have to go behind the net to get the puck. They can get hammered back there, and eventually the long term abuse could take it's toll on those defensemen. So the style of play, or the way you play the game could have an affect on injuries.

I also think that some of this new equipment coming out could cause more injuries. These new skates that just came out are very rigid at the ankle and above the ankle. Even though the skates are lighter than ever, they allow absolutely no movement in the ankle area whatsoever. So when a player gets hit just right, what gives? I think that had something to do with Ray Whitney's injury. Also, the sticks are more brittle than ever. It's a combination of things.

Timing could also be an issue. For instance, if a player tears an ACL in November, they will lose a ton of man-games, but if a player gets hurt in March, there is less affect. I have been a part of teams that have had very few injuries and I have been a part of the opposite end of the spectrum, when we led the league in man-games lost. Bottom line, I think it's probably just a matter of bad luck. Hopefully, next year we will have very few injuries to worry about.

CC- Pete, I better let you go now. Thanks very much for your time and for your very frank and candid answers. We really appreciate it.

(PF)- Anytime, and don't hesitate to call back if you have any follow-up questions.

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Again, I'd like to thank Pete Friesen for taking the time for the interview and for being so gracious. I might have hit him with a couple of questions that he wasn't expecting.

Also, thanks to the Hurricanes organization for setting this up. Hopefully, we can continue to build a relationship so that the Canes Country Blog will be granted more interviews like this one in the future.

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If you have ever read anything in the print media about the Carolina Hurricanes over the past several years, it's very a good chance that some of it was written by Luke DeCock. Not only is Luke the lead Hurricanes "beat writer" for the News and Observer, he is also a correspondent for The Hockey News and the Sporting News. Personally, the most enjoyable writing that I have seen this season by Luke has been in Lord Stanley's Blog, which he contributes heavily to. It appears that the blog is about to get an extreme makeover, including a name change. I bet that Caniacs are going to love it!

Obviously, we greatly appreciate that Luke took the time to answer our questions. We wish him the best of luck in the future and hope that he continues his outstanding work covering the Hurricanes. If you have any comments or questions, as always feel free to leave them after the interview.

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1. When did you start covering the Canes for the News and Observer and what did you do previously to that?

I joined the N&O in the fall of 2000, two games into the 2000-01 season. Before that, I covered Colorado College hockey for the Colorado Springs Gazette (as well as the Avalanche, Rockies, Broncos, Nuggets, Air Force basketball and a whole mess of other stuff).

2. What is your favorite part of the job? Your least favorite?

I enjoy the writing, the craft and the storytelling. That's why I got into this business. To do this job right, it's not about being a sports fan, it's about being a writer. That's what I tell college and high-school students who say, "I love watching games and I want to be a sportswriter!" Buy a ticket. This is a fun job, but it's still a job and you have to love the "writer" part of it, not the "sports" part of it. I'd just rather write about hockey (or football or horse racing or whatever) than the city council.

Most people couldn't handle the travel, but I (usually) enjoy it. But my least favorite part of the job is the grind. There are few days off during the NHL season, there always seems to be a morning flight looming and the games just keep on coming.

3. Who is/was your favorite player to interview? Have you ever had a difficult player to interview and can you reveal who it was?

I've been lucky to deal with a number of thoughtful, affable players on this beat. While I'm certain to leave someone out, Martin Gelinas, Jeff Daniels and Kevyn Adams come to mind as players who are also great people. Jeff O'Neill could and Erik Cole and Ray Whitney can almost always be counted upon to say something interesting or controversial.

Special mention here to Martin Brodeur, who I believe is not only the NHL's best interview but also spawned a whole generation of goalies who are willing to talk on game-day mornings.

I've never really enjoyed talking to Mark Messier, but most players are reasonably cooperative to the degree that can be expected. Cory Stillman can be tough to track down sometimes, but he's invariably thoughtful when you are able to grab him. (Ironically enough, he loves doing sports radio.)

More often, the problems occur when a player says something he shouldn't and then tries to blame the writer, as was the case with a former Hurricanes goalie.

4. In your opinion what could the NHL do in general, and the Hurricanes do in particular, to increase interest in the sport?

I've been on the record that the NHL does a poor job marketing its players and that so much of its advertising is cliched and hackneyed. That aside, getting back on ESPN has to be goal No. 1. The Versus TV deal, at this point, is an unmitigated disaster. I suspect, in his less guarded moments, even Gary Bettman would admit as much.

5. The NHLPA just elected a new president. How do you think that the union can better serve the players?

One, it can serve the players because you could argue that wasn't the case under Ted Saskin. Two, the union may not have a seat at the table but it can use leverage to force changes in marketing and the direction of the league, such as the TV deal (this was the subject of my Sunday column on Oct. 28).

6. If you could make one rule change in the NHL, what would it be and why?

Mandatory visors for players entering the league.

7. A few teams around the league are embracing fan bloggers and giving them press credentials to cover their respective teams. What is your opinion about this, and how do you think NHL teams should handle fan bloggers who ask for press credentials?

In principle, I support the credentialing of bloggers but only if they can meet the established standards of professionalism that adhere to anyone else in the press box. This is my job and my office. I don't want people cheering, wearing Hurricanes gear and looking over my shoulder any more than you want me doing the same in your office while you try to sell software. Unfortunately, the experience so far in the NHL to the extent I've seen it is that few bloggers meet that standard. I would encourage the blogging community to institute some self-policing, because it only takes a few bad apples to spoil it for those who understand, acknowledge and meet the guidelines of professional journalists.

8. Not only do you cover the Canes for the News and Observer, you are also the Hurricanes correspondent for The Hockey News. Do you write for other publications as well and what are they?

I write the Southeast Division preview for the Sporting News yearbook. That (along with the Hockey News) is the extent of my freelance activity.

9. Have you written or considered writing a book and if so, what would it be about?

I wrote a series of children's books on sports, along with my N&O colleague Joe Giglio. Former N&O Hurricanes beat writer Steve Politi and I came up with a book proposal about the Hurricanes after the 2006 Cup run but there wasn't much interest when we shopped it around.

10. It seems that your writing on Lord Stanley's Blog has taken a turn from being mostly "matter of fact" in past years to being more opinionated, critical, and humorous this season. Has that change been a natural process or have you intentionally attempted to give the blog more of a "human touch" this year? Do you dislike or prefer writing on the blog more so than writing formal articles, and why?

We've made a concerted effort to put more material on the blog. To a certain extent, that's by necessity including more unfiltered commentary, so to speak. We're hoping to increase the amount of audio and video available as well, akin to "ACC Now", our signature sports blog. Look for big changes (including the name, but that's all I'm saying) later this season.

Our next guest for "Take Ten" is Joe Ovies, co-host on the "Morning Drive" which is the morning talk show for 850 The Buzz! I had the pleasure of meeting Joe a couple of months ago when he invited me and two other bloggers into the studio for a Hurricanes bloggers roundtable, and in my opinion he has a perfect personality for being on the air. He's very quick on his feet, has a keen wit, and obviously is knowledgeable about sports. In his relatively short career, so far it sounds like he's done a bit of everything for "The Buzz". The station's "The Blog", is his baby, (as I found out), and has grown to be one of the most popular local sports blogs online! His latest creation, "RadioTube - Low Rent Sports Talk Theater" is a video segment where he and Chris Clark sit and discuss sports over a beer, and then put the clip on "YouTube" for the world to see! I'm still waiting for some hockey talk though. Let's say we make Joe and Chris an offer? If they use a future segment of "RadioTube" for discussing the Hurricanes, we'll make it the Canes Country "Tube of the Week!".

I would also like to mention that Joe has always been a friend to local bloggers and has links to several other blog sites, from "The Blog". I know that during our earlier days at Canes Country, "The Blog" helped to drive some much needed traffic our way. Hopefully now we can reciprocate a bit. Thank you Joe. We appreciate your continued support of the blogging community and for participating in this interview!

Feel free to leave comments or questions for Joe at the end of the segment.

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1. When did you start working for "850 The Buzz" and what did you do previously to that?

My senior year at NC State, working part time in early 2001. Basically working weekend shifts, running the board for Hurricanes games (when we carried the games back in the day). That lead to doing 20/20 updates and eventually the full time producer gig in the afternoon with Gold. With time my role increased. I did my own weekend show on Saturdays called "House of Sport" and then was asked to co-host the MoJo with Morgan Patrick on 620 The Bull. After the post-Imus reshuffle, I was paired with Gold once again...but this time in a co-host capacity. Obviously before the Buzz, I was a student at NC State studying Management Information Systems at the business school. The radio experience came from working at the student station, WKNC 88.1FM, as a dj and general manager my junior and senior years.

2. What is your favorite part of the job? Your least favorite?

Favorite part? That I get to talk about sports for a living. Getting up every morning at 4am can be brutal, but knowing I have fun things to talk about makes it worth it.

Least favorite? While Haterade drinking fans who take things way too seriously and/or personal can be taxing, it comes with the job. So I'll say that not being able to tailgate and do general fan things is the least favorite. Watching sports is the job, not the hobby. Sure, I'm in a nice press box or whatever, but darn it, I want to be dropping cash on over priced watery domestics and yelling at the refs with everyone else.

3. Who is/was your favorite NHL player to interview? Have you ever had a difficult player to interview and can you reveal who it was?

Kevyn Adams. The guy always made time for me, and still does even though he has bounced around the league since being traded. Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals in Edmonton, the Canes lose. How brutal do you think that room was after falling flat on their face and coming to grips with a Game 7? Think anyone in the room wanted to talk beyond the cliched player speak? Adams is a guy who gets it, and helped me do my job by being straight up with his answers.

My coworkers have dealt with difficult players, but I've never really dealt with it one-on-one. I've seen Peter Laviolette appear to break the media room door as he stormed out one time last year. I've had my microphone in the scrum when Jeff O'Neill snapped at a question during one of those early RBC days when the team stunk it up in December. His quote "What kind of question is that!? Give your head a shake."

During the 2006 ECF against Buffalo, Aaron Ward once used me as a prop to get the Canadian press off his back. He was getting hammered about the officiating, and some guys were trying to get him to say something he didn't really want to say. I followed it up with a question that was a little open-ended, and he snapped. The other guys got the hint, he was done answering questions. Once he finished his rant at me, I asked "Hey, ummm, are we cool, cause I'd like a one-on-one for Storm Front". He just sat down and said "yeah, sure, no problem." Rather amusing.

4. In your opinion what could the NHL do in general, and the Hurricanes do in particular, to increase interest in the sport?

Tricky question with no simple answer, but I will say that the obsession over ratings needs to stop. What should matter is attendance figures at your local arenas, not what Versus is pulling in. Look at baseball, which is killing it right now with attendance records despite all the blathering on about steroids and bad playoff ratings. Chuck Klosterman wrote a great piece in Esquire on how to save sports, and one of his big sticking points was reporting on television ratings. His overall point was that reporting on TV viewer-ship rewards events that are mostly appreciated by temporary fans, and over time creates a nonspecific product that isn't appealing to anyone. That's a long setup for the overall point: The NHL is a great product and the league shouldn't cater to what temporary fans want. Get a message and stick to that message. The NHL can make tweaks, just like any other sport, but it needs to avoid buckling under the pressure from talking head types who simple use the NHL as a joke.

5. The NHLPA just elected a new president. How do you think that the union can better serve the players?

How about a little respect amongst players? There are way too many cheap shots that do nothing but hurt the image even further than it already has been.

6. If you could make one rule change in the NHL, what would it be and why?

Widen the ice. It might piss off the purists and some NHL players, but it opens things up further for obvious reasons. Olympic hockey is fun to watch. Although I'm in a fantasy world on this one because you would have to change the physical layout of the arenas here. Bottom line: Less seats means less revenue.

7. A few teams around the league are embracing fan bloggers and giving them press credentials to cover their respective teams. What is your opinion about this, and how do you think NHL teams should handle fan bloggers who ask for press credentials?

Another tricky question, but dealing with new media is always fascinating.

More teams should do what the Washington Caps do, and not what the Islanders do. The Caps treat bloggers like regular members of the press, while the Islanders have some sort of hybrid "blogger box" concept with limited access. If you want to work the game with a press pass, then you have to work the game and follow the same guidelines we do. Showing up in a jersey and cheering just creates more animosity towards bloggers and actually hurts movement of respectability. It's also disruptive to the job. When Eric McErlain of Offwing Opinion shows up to a Caps game, you'd have no idea who he worked for unless you looked at his press pass. That's how it should be.

I understand that not all blogs are the same. Some are just the simple opinions of a fan, updated when they have something clever to write. Other blogs take a more traditional approach, linking to stories, offering opinion and general insight to the daily dealings of a team or sport. Those types of blogs have the most to gain out of credentials, and should actively seek being allowed access. The "Hey, I was in section 121 and the Sabres fan behind me was a drunk too!" bloggers don't need access. What's the point, other than the free intermission and hot dog?

If a blog clearly demonstrates a quality product, then there is no reason why it shouldn't be given a credential. However, blogs have to earn their bones just like everyone else. Let's say that a blogger gets in, they should be prepared for a 2nd class status. Your seats will stink, and likely be in some auxiliary room during heavy traffic games. I won't name the media member, but this guy never showed up to a game during the regular season (OK, maybe a handful). Suddenly he showed up during the hotness of playoff hockey. Think they got relegated to the auxiliary press box? Absolutely. Secondly, if a blogger "gets in" they will also be held to the same standards as the rest of us. Getting a media badge doesn't equate to a free ticket to the game, where you can just hang out and do what you want. Unfortunately, I've seen a couple of cases where the media member crossed into the "fan zone". One guy who is no longer in this market eventually got his pass revoked for that reason. I'll never forget the look on Sami Kapanen's face the night he was slapped on the back and told "great game!" by this guy. Keep in mind that Kapanen had just walked out of the shower and was just in a towel. Needless to say, that didn't go over well.

There seems to be a myth that the press box is some cushy lounge where the elite eat prime rib and look down upon the paying public. I wish! It's cold and clinical. In our case, we're there to take notes, get interviews for air, and get some insight that we'll be able to relay on the air. Newspapers are typing away at their game stories freaking out that they'll miss deadline. At the media meal, or during intermission, we'll all talk amongst ourselves to bounce around some rumors or discuss some other happenings around the league.

8. Of course you co-host the "Morning Drive" every weekday morning from 6-10AM on "The Buzz". What other projects or shows are you working on that we should be aware of?

While I was scattered all over the place in recent years, The Buzz has me focused on the morning show right now. Of course, there are times where they have to make a call to the bullpen, and I'm more than happy to fill-in on other shows.

We're starting to get into video on the blog though. You can catch RadioTube once a week, where I put my horrendous skills with iMovie on display.

9. Have you considered writing a book and if so, what would it be about?

Book writing ain't my domain. I have a hard enough time commanding the English language on the air.

10. "850 The Blog" is a very active and extremely popular blog. As a contributor, what do you enjoy about blogging and how do you feel it has affected mainstream media, if at all?

Contributor? "The Blog" is my baby. I stressed to management that we should get on the blog trend 3 years ago, and incorporate it into the branding of the station as a companion to what you hear on the air. The Buzz has always been great about letting me test out new things and the blog was no exception. It was slow at first. We got big spikes for silly things like the Gary Williams chicken wing photo or the Carolina Panthers cheerleader bathroom romp, but listeners finally understood the concept during the NC State basketball coaching search. We're talking about it on the radio, but not everyone can listen to the radio 24/7. The blog opened up a place for people to get the information we were talking about, or hear an interview they otherwise would have missed because they were in a meeting, etc, etc. The blog also opens up our brand to a different type of demo who might not listen to the radio, but is certainly interested in sports topics.

The "real media" has been coming to grips with this new media the last couple of years. Some outlets get it, some don't. Joe Giglio at the N&O gets it at ACC Now, and so does The DC Sports Bog at the Washington Post. If a "real media" outlet wants a blog to be successful, it has to integrate itself into the online community. Too often, blogs from traditional media outlets are dumping grounds for stuff that didn't make it to print. It feels tacked on. "Real media" blogs have to have their own identity and style.

Mike Maniscalco is the new host for 99.9 The Fan's Carolina Hurricanes pre-game and post game shows. He also co-hosts The Fan's morning show, "The Fanatics" with Dan Mason which airs from 6-9 every weekday morning. We have mentioned before that The Fan is the official home of the Hurricanes and broadcasts all of their games. You can listen to the station online, (and of course listen to the games as well) with their online live streaming link. The link can also be found on the left sidebar under the "Canes Related Sites" heading. Finally, Mike also hosts the "Canes Corner" features in which the station broadcasts live from various sports bars in the Triangle and fans get to ask questions of certain players who are guests. You can check out a recording of the most recent event here which featured Justin Williams. Obviously, Mike is a very busy guy, but was nice enough to take the time to answer our 10 questions. Feel free to leave any questions or comments for Mike at the end of the interview.

1. We know that you just recently started at "99.9 The Fan" and co-host "The Fanatics" which is on the air from 6-9 AM on weekdays. What did you do previously to that?

I spent the past six and a half years in Richmond, VA at Sports Radio 910 as the afternoon drive show host. While there I covered the ACC, NFL and local college football and basketball in the area. I also worked closely with Richmond Hockey Fights Cancer, the Richmond group is phenomenal. Prior to that I worked for WGR 55 in Buffalo, NY. I know that might get me in trouble here, (for the record not all Sabre fans are jerks, my wife has never broken a pint glass intentionally in her life, and we actually were at the RBC Center for game one of the conference finals 2 years ago and were embarrassed by some of the Sabre fan behavior) at WGR I was the evening host from six to ten pm and also served as a pre and post game host for the Buffalo Sabres. I also did pre-game work for the Bills. I also worked for the Sabres Organization during the 1996-97 Northeast division championship season as an in-game video scout and advanced video scout. I started as an intern in the job and by the end of the year was a member of the staff under Ted Nolan, Don Lever and Paul Therriault.

2. What is your favorite part of the job so far? Your least favorite?

I am really enjoying the morning show, I think we are doing some great things right off the hop. I also love covering the NHL again. The League was not big in Richmond, so while I followed it, it was not a topic of conversation. Working with the Canes organization has been my favorite part outside of 6-9am. From the players to Coach Laviolette and the media relations people Kyle Hanlin and Mike Sundheim it has been great to see their enthusiasm about the game. I do not have a least favorite part, I really love what I do and I hope that shows in my work on and off the air.

3. Who is/was your favorite NHL player to interview? Have you ever had a difficult person to interview and can you tell us about that?

I have a couple, but Pat LaFontaine is at the top of the list. The great thing about hockey players is for the most part they are all good people to talk to, in the short time here in Raleigh all of the Hurricane players have been fantastic.

Difficult interview: that would be Kyle Welliston who has a web page about mid-major basketball might have been the worst interview ever, if you have a site that is appearing to track that aspect of the game and you are unwilling to answer questions it is an interview destined for the circular file. Also when a guy comes off as arrogant and like he doesn’t know what he is talking about or the host seems to know more than “the expert” the interview isn’t going to last long. Of course I am sure he would say the host asked the wrong questions.

4. In your opinion what could the NHL do in general, and the Hurricanes do in particular, to increase interest in the sport?

Really great question, the simple answer is just get people out to the game to really understand how talented the NHL players are. The game does not translate well to television, especially if you did not grow up with hockey, but in person when you can see the whole ice and watch plays develop and see the speed of the game it is hard not to be a fan. I also think finding a commissioner who knows something about the game could help, but I am not here to bash Gary Bettman. People say educate the fans, so a promotion where you can take someone who knows nothing about hockey to a game for cheap tickets and have them sit next to someone who knows the game would be a great promotion, maybe a former player or media member.

5. The NHLPA just elected a new president. How do you think that the union can better serve the players?

By making sure that the front office members of the league understand that locking out a season hurts the game. The NHLPA has had so many problems with leaders that have bilked money from the players or cut sub-par deals, it is time for a resident that has the players and games best interests, not his own. Also take a page from the NFL, I know Gene Upshaw is being hammered for the medical situation of former players, but if you look at the NFL today it has the best TV plan and today’s players are taken care of because of how the Union and the League work together. Once the NHL is making billions the NHLPA can take care of the players that built the league.

6. If you could make one rule change in the NHL, what would it be and why?

New commissioner: reasoning for that. can you tell me who won the Stanley Cup in the 2004-2005 season?

Oh sorry you asked rule change. Get rid of the trapezoid behind the net, if the goalie wants to go out and play the puck let him. It will lead to more scoring chances and it will protect defensemen from getting run, plus it hurts great puck handling goalies like Martin Brodeur who can start a break out of the defensive zone.

7. A few teams around the league are embracing fan bloggers and giving them press credentials to cover their respective teams. What is your opinion about this, and how do you think NHL teams should handle fan bloggers who ask for press credentials?

The teams have to protect the working media areas. I think until bloggers are viewed as working media and not fans who created website, it will be tough to credential them. The press box is a place not just a name, it is viewed as a job site where cheering is not part of the experience. I know that when I am covering a game I want to be in a professional atmosphere, not saying bloggers don’t understand this, but bloggers are not held to traditional journalistic standards. On one hand the exposure bloggers give is great, on the other some can post whatever they want and try to post it as fact. This sounds horribly elitist and it is not meant to be, but if the blog is picked up by a valid media source then that person should be credentialed, if it is just a website started by one person, where would the credential list stop? I think for right now a media affiliation is needed.

8. Not only do you co-host "The Fanatics" morning show, you also host "The Fan's" pre-game and post-game coverage for the Hurricanes. You have also hosted "Canes Corner". Are there any other Hurricanes related projects or shows you are working on that we should be aware of? Do you have any comments to share about the shows?

Well everyone should listen to “the Fanatics” from 6 to 9am on the new 99.9fm The Fan. Was that a shameless enough plug? I think that we are giving the Canes solid pre and post game coverage that improves with each broadcast and will continue to get better. Canes Corner has been a lot of fun, I hope that more of the player's personality is coming out during those shows, that is a real opportunity to find out where a player came from, not just his home town but how he made it to the NHL. Also being at the Tap houses and seeing the fans reaction has been great. There are no other Cane shows that I know of on the horizon.

9. What can you share about "The Fan's" website?

You can find our site right here. The Fan. It is in conjunction with WRAL-TV and their sports department. There is already a ton of information on there, from blogs written by the hosts, to interviews done by morning and afternoon shows and WRAL puts up interviews where you can download the video, and we are streaming so you can catch us at work or home on the computer.

10. Blogs have become a very popular form of media. Does "The Fan" have any plans to use a blog or blogs on their site? Do you have an opinion about blogs and how they fit in with the mainstream media as a whole?

Another good question; as mentioned in the previous answer, we have a lot of blogging going on the webpage right now and as traditional thoughts of the media change, remember sports radio wasn’t viewed as journalism too long ago, bloggings role will expand and change as more media outlets embrace it. I think that blogging can be a great way to add insight and coverage to a team or league, but as stated earlier it is also a place right now where it is not checked by other sources and anything can be posted. That can be dangerous, reporting something that people could take as fact even if it is just an opinion and stated as such. Right now blogs are on the outside of the mainstream, but they are a heck of a lot closer than five years ago. Look at how many athletes are blogging for major websites. In the next five to ten years, bloggers will take the place of most print columnists because of the easy access and availability but I definitely think that bloggers will become more accepted.