Canes name Williams captain; Rask out indefinitely after right hand surgery

When Rod Brind’Amour took over as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes in May, one of the first questions posed to him at his press conference was who would serve as captain in the 2018–19 season. Speculation quickly descended on Justin Williams, who had won a Stanley Cup in 2006 with Brind’Amour as his captain, and the seemingly inevitable came to pass today as Williams was named the Canes’ eighth permanent captain since the team moved to North Carolina.

Williams, 36, is entering his sixth season as a member of the Hurricanes. He joined the team in a 2004 trade for Danny Markov, and remained with the Canes until 2009, when he was traded to Los Angeles at the trade deadline in the deal that brought Erik Cole back to the franchise.

Williams did not have a designation as a captain or alternate captain last season, although there was much speculation that he would receive a letter upon signing with the team as a free agent in July of last year. Instead, the Hurricanes went with a co-captaincy and designated both Jordan Staal and Justin Faulk as captains for the season. Those two players will serve as an alternate captains this season, and the Hurricanes will have no other permanent designations of alternate captains beyond those two players.

In other news, the Hurricanes announced today that center Victor Rask underwent surgery earlier today to repair injuries to his right ring and pinky fingers sustained in a kitchen accident. Rask will be out indefinitely following the surgery.

Training camp for the Hurricanes opens today, moved up due to the expected impact of Hurricane Florence on the Triangle over the next few days. The releases from the team about Williams’ captaincy and Rask’s surgery are below.

CANES NAME JUSTIN WILLIAMS AS TEAM CAPTAIN

Jordan Staal, Justin Faulk will serve as alternate captains

Rod Brind’Amour, Head Coach of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that Justin Williams will serve as the team’s captain for the 2018-19 season. Jordan Staal and Justin Faulk will serve as alternate captains.

Williams, 36, is the 16th player to serve as captain for the franchise and the eighth since the team’s arrival in North Carolina. The Cobourg, Ont., native scored 16 goals and added 35 assists (51 points) in 82 games with the Hurricanes in 2017-18, ranking third on the team in points and assists. Now in his 18th NHL season, Williams has totaled 733 points (289g, 444a) in 1,162 career NHL games with Philadelphia, Carolina, Los Angeles and Washington. He is a three-time Stanley Cup winner (Carolina, 2006; Los Angeles, 2012 and 2014) and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2014.

VICTOR RASK UNDERGOES SURGERY ON RIGHT HAND

Center is out indefinitely after suffering injury in his kitchen

Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today that center Victor Rask today underwent surgery on his right fourth and fifth fingers. The procedure was performed by Dr. Harrison Tuttle at Raleigh Orthopaedic and Rask is out indefinitely.

Rask, 25, suffered the injury while slicing food in his kitchen. The Leksand, Sweden, native completed his fourth NHL season in 2017-18, totaling 31 points (14g, 17a) in 71 games for the Hurricanes. Carolina’s second-round selection, 42nd overall, in the 2011 NHL Draft, Rask has scored 62 goals and added 95 assists (157 points) in 313 career NHL games.