Storm Advisory 8/13/2019: NHL News, Links, and Daily Roundup

Yesterday’s News Today - Don Waddell Signs Three Year Contract

“At the end of the day I’m right where I belong and where I should be.”

As we reported yesterday, the Hurricanes and Don Waddell have agreed to terms on a new three-year contract. Following the announcement, Waddell and Tom Dundon met with the media via conference call, then later Dundon spoke with Adam Gold on 99.9 The Fan and Waddell joined NHL Network. In the process, we learned a couple of other things.

• While Dundon is content to work with members of his management team without a contract, he’s also willing to sign longer term contracts if it supports individual needs. He did just that in the case of vice president of hockey management and strategy Eric Tulsky, who is operating under a long-term contract (Dundon reported it as a five-year term though The Athletic is reporting a four-year term), which should allay fears that Tulsky is at risk of being poached by other front offices.
• Not that this was a surprise, but at least one other member of Dundon’s team has some job security. “Other than Brind’Amour (there may be one or two others), I haven’t met any irreplaceables.”
• There’s still nothing new on the Justin Williams situation. In Waddell’s interview with NHL Network he mentioned Williams was still debating playing versus retiring. Dundon was a bit more emphatic when asked (by Gold) if Williams might pursue an opportunity elsewhere. “No matter what happens he’s going to be a part of what we do, whether he plays this year or not... If he’s playing, he’s playing with us.”
• We’re right there with you, governor.

Reading/Listening Assignments

• This feature is a couple of days old but in case you missed it earlier, Erik Haula says he sees similarities between his new team and his former team that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2017-18 [NHL.com].
• Speaking of new Canes players, James Reimer and Gustav Forsling had their numbers announced yesterday.

• AND there’s a Carolina backstory on Reimer’s new number.

• Reimer’s former partner in net, Roberto Luongo, will have his jersey retired by the Panthers on March 7, 2020. Bobby Lu is the first Panther ever to meet this distinguished career milestone. [Panthers.com]
• Congratulations to Trevor van Riemsdyk who made an announcement via Instagram last evening!

• Not sure if any of you get the print edition of the News and Observer, but I found something a bit off in their reprint of the Seattle Times article about Ron Francis and analytics. Can’t quite put my finger on it though.....

• This ranks right up there with seeing your old arena organ on Craigslist:

• This week in scoreboard stalking:

Barbecue Wars: The Final Four

Well folks, we’ve made it: we have our four finalists, and we’re only two days away from crowning the best barbecue in North Carolina. Congratulations to our four bracket champions:

• Western (top seed): Lexington Barbecue
• Eastern (2 seed): B’s Barbecue
• Specialty (3 seed): Brew ‘n Cue
• Pulled Pork (4 seed): Pik ‘n Pig

The Eastern bracket had me sweating: as late as last night, it was a dead heat between B’s and Skylight, and took until this morning for B’s to pull out the win. (What would the tiebreaker have been, you ask? Good question. I’m not sure myself. I’m just thanking my lucky stars I didn’t have to come up with one.)

So, who will meet in the championship tomorrow? Your vote today will determine it. Let’s get to it!

Semifinal 1: Lexington Barbecue vs. Pik ‘n Pig

Lexington (def. Stamey’s 59-26 in R3)

Lexington is the gold standard for barbecue in North Carolina, as far as I’m concerned. Perfectly cooked every time, melt-in-your-mouth good, and with a few drops of their dip on top of the ‘cue it gets even better.

Pik ‘n Pig (def. N.C. BBQ Company 36-21 in R3)

The barbecue is as moist as you’ll find pulled pork just about anywhere. You may not even need the extra sauce, because the smoky taste of the pork is good enough on its own, and the sides are quite good too (don’t miss the Co-Cola cake). But the real attraction is the location: the restaurant is located on the side of a fairly busy landing strip. It’s not unusual at all for pilots to land, park their plane, and walk right into the restaurant.

Semifinal 2: B’s Barbecue vs. Brew ‘n Cue

B’s (def. Skylight Inn 51-46 in R3)

From Cody: Locals know if you want their BBQ you better get there before 1pm or you take a major risk at there being none left. There is none better than B’s in my humble opinion. The flavor created in the old smokehouse (excuse me, carport), is above and beyond better than anywhere else. The slaw is very sweet and pairs perfectly with the BBQ. The sauce is of course the key, and you can find that conveniently located on one of the few tables usually in an old whiskey bottle. If you have never visited B’s before, do it now.

Brew ‘n Cue (def. The Pit 38-24 in R3)

If it wasn’t for the fact that you were in a restaurant with 300 taps - anathema to many parts of the state where barbecue and booze never mix - you could be forgiven for thinking you’d been transported east of I-95 when you dive into a plate of chopped barbecue. Brew ‘n Que’s pork is firmly in the eastern style, but they have enough other options - chopped chicken, ribs, and a brisket that I’ve yet to try but I’ve heard nothing but good things about - to make just about anyone happy.