The Hurricanes media and marketing staff are working at full throttle this week setting up interviews and promotions in anticipation of opening night tomorrow. If you missed any or all, I've got them collected here. One last piece will be GM Jim Rutherford on the David Glenn show at 12:15 today. Listen on 99.9theFan or stream here.
With so much coming at you, I added a "HM-★" tag for each link intended to help you sort through the Must-Listen versus those that "can wait".
Several local radio spots give us these
Audio Links
Canes' Sutter in Studio with The Insiders - WRALSportsFan.com Alternate captain Brandon Sutter joined The Insiders, Mike and Mark in studio Wednesday morning to discuss the upcoming hockey season, camping, Movember, and Skinner dropping the gloves. [20 minutes] Personality in buckets. ★★★★★
Not nearly as funny as the ramblings of Sutter and Maniscalco, but still a great listen, from The David Glenn Show who featured defenseman Tim Gleason Tuesday: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 (about 10 minutes each) ★★★★★
Chad LaRose on 96Rock with Bob the Blade: Part 1and Part 2 (about 3 mins each). Sorry, but no chemistry gives it just ★★.
Anthony Stewart on 99.9FM The Fan - WRALSportsFan.com Winger Anthony Stewart joined Adam Gold and Joe Ovies in-studio [21 minutes] and handles their off-beat style very well I thought. ★★★★
Monday's Kids n Community Foundation Golf tournament gives us this video featuring Ryan Murphy and Jussi Jokinen, among several, in on camera appearances. The "Pairings Party", including hockey players in suits, was held Friday night, and that video is here.
After the jump, more video links, plus a collection of interviews, profiles, Roster decisions here and in Charlotte, looking ahead to Friday night and the rest of the season and a request for a helping hand from the Kitchener Rangers.
Video Links
Not as many of these, but they made it to the small screen here.
The fabulous Finn does a good job with this in-studio interview, which aired last night: One-on-One: Tuomo Ruutu - Sportsnight, News 14 [8 minutes] ★★★★
Quick, but tells a lot: Canes battling for last roster spots - Mandy Mitchell, WRALSportsFan.com . Evening news spot on the two teenagers battling for a spot at defenseman, Justin Faulk and Ryan Murphy. ★★★★★
Staal ready for season opener : WRAL.com Captain Eric Staal stopped by the morning show at Fox50 to prep the viewers on what's ahead. Talks Brind`Amour, favorite restaurants, and two-year-old Parker's future jersey number. (Here's the text accompaniment.) ★★★
Player closeups and interviews in Text (AKA "links with no sound")
Is Justin Faulk the secret to Carolina’s success this season? | ProHockeyTalk Not sure this is a universally held belief among the Canes fans in Raleigh so I'll highlight it to get everyone's attention: "after seeing Jeff Skinner thrive as an 18 year-old last year the Canes don’t have any fears about having a young guy seize the chance to make a positive addition to the squad."
More on Faulk from Charlotte's point of view: Checkers Keeping Eye on Faulk - Paul Branecky, gocheckers.com "Just from watching him at the end of last season, at the Traverse City tournament and in the (Hurricanes) exhibition games, you can tell he’s a player," Jeff Daniels said. "I’m very happy for him."
Puck Daddy chats with Carolina Hurricanes’ Jeff Skinner about his sophomore season, his first NHL fight and ‘Skinnermania’ - Puck Daddy Skinner gets the Puck Daddy treatment and survives intact.
Stewart Overcomes Odds to Reach NHL | TrueHockey Money was tight when the Stewart boys were growing up. The family lost their house and had no alternative but to move into a one-bedroom government hostel. The house, too small for the entire family, forced Anthony to move in with another family while Chris, his parents and five little sisters stayed in a space the size of a hotel room.
From Tuesday: Nash Still Fighting as End of Training Camp Looms - Michael Smith, Tracking the Storm Come tomorrow, when the club has to make a cut to get the roster down to the maximum of 23, Riley Nash could still find himself in the home locker room; the Canes could put ailing forward Chad LaRose on injured reserve, freeing up a roster spot for Nash. The Canes could also send Nash down and recall a natural wing.
A potentially huge story that's still developing with the New York Rangers roster and the status of young defenseman Marc Staal has it roots in Raleigh: Hard Hits Feature: No Love Tap - Dave Droschak , HurricanesBeat.com
"I knew right away," Eric Staal said. "They announced he hurt his knee, but I knew that he had other issues, and I knew it was his head right after the game that night. It's tough and no fun.
We do battle hard and we do compete against each other, and he's a guy who plays against top lines and they match him up against me when we play the Rangers. It is going to be competitive; it is every night no matter who I'm playing against, whether it's Zdeno Chara or my brother, any of those guys in our conference. He's no different."
More on what's ahead this week and this month
Opening night will have some special features including this invitation from the club:
Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 6:45 p.m. for a special pre-game ceremony, including tributes to Donnie MacMillan, Chopper Harrison and Josef Vasicek.
Vasicek's kindness remembered - Luke DeCock, NewsObserver.com Former Hurricane Josef Vasicek never had kids, but to see him with Skyler and Nathan Catling, you would have thought they were his own. He doted on the two boys, and they adored him.
Canes' assistant coach Brind'Amour won't be behind bench - Chip Alexander, NewsObserver.com Since being named a Carolina Hurricanes assistant coach in June, Rod Brind'Amour has referred to his coaching role and duties as a "work in progress."
How the roster was set
Rutherford has Faulk in his top four - CanesNow quotes the Canes' GM yesterday: "I do feel good about the team and that it will get stronger as we go along. As long as we're learning game to game, I think we'll come to a point in a month or so where we can be a real good team."
Some of you may consider this really important, while others will see it as part of the team's web content, not immutable coaching announcements. Michael Smith, web producer, has updated the Canes online depth charts following practice today. Let the gnashing of teeth begin: Updated Depth Charts On the back end, Justin Faulk is indeed among the Top 4. Derek Joslin, Jamie McBain, and Ryan Murphy appear to be the 3 defensemen upstairs looking down when the puck drops tomorrow night. But I'm guessing it's the forward lines that will get heads spinning. Again - this is web content, not in any way, something official.
Carolina Hurricanes reach last day of camp a different team - Peter Koutroumpis, Raleigh Sports Examiner describes the systems that the coaches are working on at practice everyday.
Canes Roster Set - For Now - Michael Smith, Tracking the Storm The final roster decision of training camp has been made, but more will be made in the weeks ahead.
Canes set roster for opener - Chip Alexander, NewsObserver.com "I'm happy right now and it's just a start," Justin Faulk said. "I'll just keep playing my game and do my best to stay up here. I am starting to feel more comfortable with the guys and getting to know them better."
Plus roster news from Charlotte as the AHL team heads to Norfolk to open their season tomorrow night vs the Admirals. Via Twitter / @PaulBranecky:
Mike McKenzie and Justin Shugg are the Checkers last cuts at forward. Taking 13 to Norfolk today.
[Coach Jeff] Daniels named Brett Sutter the team's new captain after practice. Nicolas Blanchard, Chris Durno are alternates.
Season previews
The Hockey News: Crystal ball: The Canadian Press makes its predictions for 2011-12 season Chris Johnston, a widely read Canadian Press hockey writer, has this on the "Biggest surprise team this season":
Carolina. There is very little buzz around the Hurricanes, as usual, but that will soon change. A team that fell just two points short of a playoff spot last year seems poised to take a step forward after signing some veterans and adding promising rookies Zac Dalpe and Ryan Murphy.
From TSN.ca, here is their 2011-12 Top 50 NHL players Eric Staal is rated at #17 and Skinner just makes the cut at 50th.
Puck Daddy’s 2011-12 NHL Awards Predictions (and other stuff) - Puck Daddy For a few of the contributors, under "Coach to be fired first" you will spot the man many in Raleigh would agree is on the hot seat.
** UPDATE (3pm) : Two more Previews have popped up since lunch
Hard Hits feature: 2011-12 season preview - Kurt Dusterberg, HurricanesBeat.com Will New Canes Bring New Results? A detailed look at the Carolina team top to bottom.
The Carolina Hurricanes are back, and they're hungry | Independent Weekly Here's what to expect on ice in Raleigh this year.
Looking beyond the Triangle
Alex Ovechkin expected back from Russia on Friday - The Washington Post Keep this in mind as the Caps open the season Saturday night when the Canes fly up to DC.
As always, terrific insight on the most important stories in the NHL this week: Ovechkin's stock drops, Habs get charitable & 30 thoughts - Elliotte Friedman
Alumni and Prospects
Cole relishes opportunity with Canadiens "It's my favourite building to play in," Erik Cole said on July 1, the day he signed with Montreal. "The feeling you get going into Montreal, the passion, the city, it just has an aura about it. "I don't know how you can go in there and not play well. It's a passion that can drive the team north or south."
Playoff run could give Harvard push into new season :: U.S. College Hockey Online Mostly for the lead photo, but add in Harvard's coach Ted Donato: "We feel that we have some real key guys returning, first and foremost with Danny Biega, who led our league in [league defensive scoring] last year, and is one of the top scorers in the league returning, period."
2011-12 WHL Eastern Conference preview - Hockey's Future Check out the Conference that includes Victor Rask, Keegan Lowe, and Brody Sutter.
More from Charlotte - How cool is this? Television Schedule for the Checkers 2011-12 season announced: gocheckers.com Due to popular demand, 10 Checkers home games this season will be broadcast live on Time Warner Cable digital channel 520 as part of their three-year partnership, which began in 2010-11.
Finally, Canes fans likely feel some extra appreciation for the OHL team up in Kitchener, Ontario, hockey home of Jeff Skinner and Ryan Murphy, where they have doing a lot of the "preliminary work" for the Canes the last couple years. Their PR guy relayed this Request from Kitchener: Head Strong. They need our votes to earn funding for their very important cause of Brain Injury awareness so check them out and give them a click. Here's a bit more:
Brain injury occurs suddenly, without warning. In an instant life is changed, forever. Canadian Hockey League defenseman Ben Fanelli knows this first hand. In October of 2009 Ben suffered a head injury that changed his life. Because of this Ben has realized the need for Brain Injury Awareness and funding. And that is why he teamed up with the Kitchener Rangers to start Head Strong; Fanelli 4 Brain Injury Awareness: a program designed to raise awareness about brain injuries and provide funds to various Brain Injury associations and programs.