Summertime Blues

After taking a couple of weeks off it's been hard to get back into the flow here but I do have a couple of updates to bring up at the very least.

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who submitted an application regarding contributing here at Canes Country.  We have received over 25 responses!  I apologize for taking so long to communicate further with you all but I promise that everyone will be taken into consideration and will be responded to.  Brian is out of town right now and will be out next week as well, so he will start this process soon upon his return.  I really appreciate the interest you all have shown and I think it bodes very well for the future here.

In other news:

Jaccob Slavin and others from the organization spent Thursday with the Wake County Boys Club.  Chip Alexander has the story here.  Chip also spoke a bit with Don Waddell and he said that season ticket renewals were at 91%.  The team informed the media earlier that ticket sales overall were ahead of last year at this time.  There is certainly a special emphasis in the front office on selling tickets this offseason and it must help a bit that there continues to be a buzz around this team.

It is great to see Slavin doing community work locally.

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James Wisniewski, who was bought out by Carolina this summer, is getting a try out with the Tampa Bay Lightning this fall.  We wish him the best of luck.

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In noteworthy NHL news, Patrick Roy suddenly resigned on Thursday as head coach of the Avalanche.  The team did not have much of a response initially, it seems that Joe Sakic was on vacation at the time.  Roy also served as VP of Hockey Operations but apparently wanted more say over personnel matters.

I'm not sure I would allow any coach complete control of a team, unless maybe I had Scotty Bowman in his prime.

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Finally, I was sent an email by the folk at EA Sports which I thought I would pass along because I know there are many gamers among us.

Their press release follows:

EA SPORTS™ NHL REWARDS™ INTRODUCES HOCKEY PERKS, PRIZING AND SURPRISES

Sign Up Now And Receive Hockey Ultimate Team Items, A Chance To Become The Official EA SPORTS™ NHL® 17 Superfan, Shop.NHL.com Discounts And More

Today, EA SPORTS introduced the EA SPORTS™ NHL Rewards™ program, the best place for hockey fans to register for free* and receive awesome hockey rewards, in-game digital content for Hockey Ultimate Team, and other great surprises and sweepstakes opportunities now and throughout the NHL 2016-2017 regular hockey season. Members also receive early access to NHL 17 news, trailers, and more exclusive content.

Members can register for EA SPORTS NHL Rewards™ today and receive:

• A Premium Player pack in NHL 16 Hockey Ultimate Team as a ‘thank you’ to existing NHL 16 owners who sign up for EA SPORTS NHL Rewards™ prior to August 14th**.

• A chance to become the official EA SPORTS NHL® 17 Superfan***. The winner will have their real-life likeness scanned and placed as a spectator in the crowd of their favorite hockey team’s arena in NHL 17.

• 10% off any Shop.NHL.com purchase, including team jerseys, hats and gear†.

EA SPORTS NHL Rewards™ is free for new and returning fans of the EA SPORTS NHL® franchise to register and become a member at www.easports.com/nhl/rewards. In-game rewards will be automatically entitled via members’ EA accounts while out-of-game discounts, perks and prizing notifications will be delivered directly via email.

Registered rewards members can look forward to more Hockey Ultimate Team perks for NHL 17 and other hockey prizing added to the EA SPORTS NHL Rewards™ program in the coming months.

NHL 17 lets you shape your legacy in the most exciting EA SPORTS NHL® game to date, featuring all-new game modes, new and deeper experiences in fan-favorite modes, and the best on-ice gameplay to date. To see all the new features coming to NHL 17, visit www.easports.com/nhl/features.

Watch the latest NHL 17 Gameplay Series Trailer showcasing the new Franchise Mode in NHL 17.

EA Access± members on Xbox One can try all the features of NHL 17 before its release with Play First Trials and receive a 10% discount on digital preorders. Stay tuned for more information on access timing and availability.

For more news and updates on NHL 17, follow the official EA SPORTS NHL® channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

*EA SPORTS™ NHL Rewards™ is currently open to players in Canada and the United States. An EA account, updated contact information, Xbox gamertag or PSN Online ID, and consent to receive mail and email marketing required. Some rewards require EA SPORTS NHL 16 or EA SPORTS NHL 17 on applicable platform (each sold separately) to access. Must be 13+ to register. Rewards not guaranteed and are subject to change. Must live within United States or Canada to receive physical rewards. Additional terms and conditions may apply. For full details, see www.easports.com/nhl/nhl-rewards.

**Must register and have created a Hockey Ultimate Team ("HUT") team in NHL 16 prior to August 9, 2016 to receive a Premium Player pack in NHL 16 HUT. Premium Player packs will be granted to players’ EA accounts on August 11, 2016.

***EA SPORTS NHL Rewards registration grants one entry to the EA SPORTS NHL® SuperFan Sweepstakes. The winner will be contacted via the email associated with their EA account. Void in New York, Florida, and Quebec. See http://www.easports.com/nhl/news/2016/nhl-rewards-superfan-contest for Official Rules.

±CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE EA.COM/EAACCESS/TERMS AND EA.COM/EAACCESS FOR DETAILS.

†Promotion expires October 31, 2016 at 11:59:59 PM ET. Valid only at Shop.NHL.com for qualifying product orders for in-stock merchandise. Not valid for gift codes/cards/certificates, taxes, or other services. Cannot be combined with any other offer or promotional offer. Not valid on previous purchases or returns. No cash back. Certain brands or merchandise may be excluded. All purchases are subject to the Shop.NHL.com Terms and Conditions, which may change at any time. Shop.NHL.com also reserves the right to change the terms and conditions applicable to discount codes at any time. Void where prohibited.

NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks and NHL Rewards is a trademark of the National Hockey League.  © NHL 2016. All Rights Reserved.