Carolina Hurricanes news roundup

The Carolina Hurricanes finished up their regular season on home ice Thursday night, beating the Devils 6-3 to put a nice capper on the best regular season in franchise history.

The Canes’ Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta also wrapped up the Jennings Trophy, awarded to the goaltenders of the team that allows the fewest goals over the course of the regular season.

On Friday, the Hurricanes had a busy news day, as a handful of players were honored with awards or nominations and the practice facility received a sponsor.

Here’s a roundup of what’s going on in the world of the Carolina Hurricanes on this lovely Friday:

Jesper Fast wins Steve Chiasson Award

The Carolina Hurricanes named Fast their winner of the annual Steve Chiasson Award, which is “given annually to the Hurricanes player that best exemplifies determination and dedication while proving to be an inspiration to his teammates through his performance and approach to the game.”

It’s a well-deserved award for Fast who has been the pillar of consistency for the Hurricanes since he got to Raleigh. The powerful Nino Niederreiter-Jordan Staal-Fast line has been Carolina’s most consistent all season, and Fast’s ability to grind out tough shifts and always do the right thing has been a big part of that.

He finished the season with 34 points and 14 goals, both new career bests for the Swedish forward in his second season with the Hurricanes.

Antti Raanta nominated for Bill Masterton Trophy

This news came down the wire a couple of days ago, but Raanta has been nominated by the Carolina chapter of the PHWA for the Bill Masterton Trophy.

The Masterton trophy is given by the PHWA annually to the “player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.” Each team gets one nominee, and this year’s is Raanta for the Canes.

This is also an incredibly deserved honor for Raanta, who has battled through some injuries during his career to put together a fantastic first season with the Canes en route to the Jennings.

Raanta is also the nicest guy you’ll ever meet, a joy to speak to who clearly loves the game of hockey and his teammates.

Raanta is actually the third Carolina goalie in the last four years to be the nominee for the Masterton, as James Reimer was nominated in 2019-20 and Curtis McElhinney was nominated in 2018-19.

Andrei Svechnikov wins Josef Vasicek Award

The Carolina chapter of the PHWA gave Svechnikov its annual Vasicek award, which is given for “outstanding cooperation with the local media.”

Svechnikov is the youngest player to win the award at just 22, and it’s also a well-deserved honor. Svechnikov is an always fun, honest and informative interview.

Frederik Andersen named Canes’ MVP by PHWA of Carolina

The other award given out by the Carolina chapter of the PHWA is for team MVP, which has gone to newcomer Frederik Andersen after a 35-14-3 season with a 2.17 GAA, .929 sv% and four shutouts.

Andersen is the first goalie to win the award for the Hurricanes since Cam Ward, as this is the first year since 2016-17 that it hasn’t gone to Sebastian Aho.

There were a lot of questions and concerns surrounding the Canes’ offseason goaltending moves coming into the year, but they clearly proved to be the right way to go. Andersen has been incredible, a likely Vezina finalist who has helped the Hurricanes on their way to the best season in franchise history.

Wake Competition Center rinks named Invisalign Arena

The Hurricanes’ practice facility has a new sponsor, as Align Technology’s Invisalign brand will now be the named sponsor of the rinks at WCC.

Invisalign Arena will now be where the Hurricanes practice. Invisalign is also the presenting sponsor for the Hurricanes’ playoff games this spring.

In addition to the new naming rights, Invisalign Arena, along with PNC Arena, will play host to the NHL Prospect Showcase in September.

Here are the official team press releases on both the awards and the practice facility:

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Carolina Hurricanes today announced that forward Jesper Fast has been selected by his teammates as the winner of the 2021-22 Steve Chiasson Award. The Carolina chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA) also nominated goaltender Antti Raanta for the 2021-22 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, named forward Andrei Svechnikov the winner of the Vasicek Award and selected goaltender Frederik Andersen as the team’s most valuable player.

The Steve Chiasson Award is given annually to the Hurricanes player that best exemplifies determination and dedication while proving to be an inspiration to his teammates through his performance and approach to the game. Fast, 30, has recorded 34 points (14g, 20a) in 82 games in 2021-22, his second season with Carolina. The 6’1”, 191-pound forward has established new single-season career highs in goals and points and matched his single-season best in assists, all of which were previously set with the Rangers in 2017-18 (13g, 20a). He also ranks fourth on the team in plus/minus (+24) and sixth in hits (109), and his 36 blocked shots rank second among Hurricanes forwards. The Nassjo, Sweden, native has registered 200 points (75g, 125a) in 550 career NHL games with the Rangers and Hurricanes from 2013-22. While with New York, he became the first player in Rangers history to win their Players’ Player Award in five consecutive seasons (2015-20).

The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually by the PHWA to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey. A player from each NHL team is nominated by the local chapter of the PHWA. Raanta, 32, has posted a 15-5-4 record, 2.45 goals-against average, .912 save percentage and two shutouts in 28 appearances in his first season with Carolina. The 6’0”, 195-pound goaltender won the 2021-22 William M. Jennings Trophy alongside Frederik Andersen as the netminders playing at least 25 games for the team allowing the fewest goals. Raanta earned a win in his Hurricanes debut against Chicago on Oct. 29 and began the season with a 5-2-1 record, posting his first Hurricanes shutout against Montreal on Dec. 30. He closed the regular season with a 9-2-3 record in his last 16 games, including a 36-save shutout against Colorado on March 10. The Rauma, Finland, native has earned a 108-70-24 record, 2.46 goals-against average, .919 save percentage and 15 shutouts in 226 career NHL games with Chicago, NY Rangers, Arizona and Carolina from 2013-22.

The Josef Vasicek Award is given annually by the Carolina PHWA for outstanding cooperation with the local media. Formerly known as the Good Guy Award, the award was renamed in 2012 by the Carolina PHWA in honor of Vasicek, a former Hurricanes forward who died in a plane crash in Russia in September 2011. Svechnikov, 22, has become the youngest player to ever win the Vasicek Award after becoming the youngest player to win the Chiasson Award in 2019-20. The 6’2”, 195-pound forward has tallied 69 points (30g, 39a) in 78 games this season, setting new single-season career highs in goals, assists, points, plus/minus (+19) and power-play goals (9). He opened the season with a point in 12 of Carolina’s first 14 games (7g, 11a), including five of his team-high 21 multi-point games in 2021-22. Svechnikov is one of just two NHL players with at least 60 points and 180 hits this season, joining Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk, who has tallied 65 points (29g, 36a) and 267 hits. The Barnaul, Russia, native has earned 209 points (89g, 120a) in 283 career NHL/Hurricanes games since debuting in 2018-19, and he ranks first in career points among all players selected in the 2018 NHL Draft.

Andersen, 32, is the first goaltender to be named the Hurricanes’ most valuable player since Cam Ward in 2010-11. He has posted a 35-14-3 record, 2.17 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and four shutouts in 52 appearances this season and ranks second in goals-against average and tied for third in save percentage among all NHL netminders with at least 10 games played in 2021-22. Alongside Raanta, Andersen won the Jennings Trophy for the second time in his NHL career (2015-16 with Anaheim, alongside John Gibson), becoming the eighth netminder in NHL history to win the award with multiple teams. The 6’4”, 238-pound netminder also leads the league with four assists, the most in a season by any Hartford/Carolina netminder since Sean Burke recorded six in 1995-96, and he established a new single-season franchise record for road wins by a goaltender (17-8-1). Andersen opened the season with wins in each of his first eight appearances, becoming the third goaltender in NHL history to record a win in each of his first eight games with a franchise. He later improved to 34-13-3, tied for the second-most wins by any netminder in league history through his first 50 games with a franchise. Andersen was also named to the NHL All-Star Game for the second time in his career and led the Metropolitan Division to victory in the three-on-three tournament. The Herning, Denmark, native has posted a 261-114-51 record, 2.59 goals-against average, .916 save percentage and 23 shutouts in 445 career NHL games with Anaheim, Toronto and Carolina from 2013-22.

RALEIGH, N.C. – The National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes today announced that the ice rinks at Wake Competition Center have been named Invisalign Arena in honor of Align Technology’s Invisalign® brand, which will also serve as the presenting sponsor for the team’s Stanley Cup Playoff games this spring.

Invisalign Arena is the Hurricanes’ official practice facility and serves as home ice for the Junior Hurricanes Youth Hockey Association and U.S. Premier Hockey League’s Junior Hurricanes, N.C. State University’s club hockey teams and the Accelerator School and Hockey Academy. It also hosts numerous events throughout the year, including Carolinas Hockey League pre- and postseason tournaments, Travel Champs youth tournaments, a National Showcase Hockey SuperSeries tournament, Hurricanes and Justin Williams Youth Summer Camps and the Triangle Figure Skating Dogwood Classic. The facility houses 40 year-round adult hockey teams and supports over 2,000 youth hockey players in the Triangle.

“Invisalign Arena plays a central role in our efforts to serve and develop our area’s booming youth hockey programs,” said Hurricanes President and General Manager Don Waddell. “We are happy to partner with a company who shares those values and continually strives to make a positive impact in our community.”

Align Technology’s Invisalign brand has been the Official Smile of the Carolina Hurricanes for the past four seasons. As part of a recent extension through the 2026-27 season, the east and west entrances at PNC Arena have been renamed the Invisalign East and West Entrances. The Invisalign brand is also the title sponsor of the “Youth Starter of the Game” prior to each home game as well as the Hurricanes’ Youth Summer Camp and Learn to Play program.

“Together with the Hurricanes, we are building greater awareness about the power of a winning smile and are excited to now see our Invisalign brand in the arena,” said Simon Beard, executive vice president and managing director, Americas, Align Technology. “As a strong supporter of youth sports, we look forward to how this extended sponsorship will support more programs to inspire more smiles from the children and teams that participate in the Hurricanes youth hockey league – as well as fans of all ages.”

As the Hurricanes’ presenting sponsor for the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Invisalign brand will be featured by the team prominently throughout the playoffs, including on game day graphics and social media posts. Invisalign will also hold title sponsorship of Hurricanes LIVE on Bally Sports South during the postseason.

About Align Technology

Align Technology designs, manufactures and offers the Invisalign system, the most advanced clear aligner system in the world, iTero intraoral scanners and services, and exocad CAD/CAM software. These technology building blocks enable enhanced digital orthodontic and restorative workflows to improve patient outcomes and practice efficiencies for over 212 thousand doctor customers and is key to accessing Align’s 500 million consumer market opportunity worldwide. Align has helped doctors treat over 12.2 million patients with the Invisalign system and is driving the evolution in digital dentistry through the Align Digital Platform, our integrated suite of unique, proprietary technologies and services delivered as a seamless, end-to-end solution for patients and consumers, orthodontists and GP dentists, and lab/partners. Visit www.aligntech.com for more information.

For additional information about the Invisalign system or to find an Invisalign doctor in your area, please visit www.invisalign.com. For additional information about iTero digital scanning system, please visit www.itero.com. For additional information about exocad dental CAD/CAM offerings and a list of exocad reseller partners, please visit www.exocad.com.