Hurricanes sale formally closed, Tom Dundon now majority owner

[garnetpalmetto]

they don't seem to be connecting hockey with the community. They've been there 20 years and I've heard of no players from that region making it anywhere. Its a win and people show up or lose and nobody shows up kind of thing. Minus the home games against popular teams.

Could it be that you're not particularly following the Triangle youth scene and you're confusing a lack of prospects with instant name recognition with "not connecting with the community?" Offhand I know Glen Wesley's son, Josh, got drafted by us in the 2014 draft and was #79 on the NA Skaters Prospect List. Rod Brind'Amour's son, Skyler, was drafted this past year by Edmonton and is going on to play NCAA hockey at Michigan State. You also have Tyler Weiss on the USNTDP and who was selected in the first round of the Priority Selection by Sarnia and Josh Wilkins who plays for Providence College coming out of the youth scene here.

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/article148137959.html

The Hurricanes-sponsored youth team (coached by former Hurricane Shane Willis) also regularly participates in tournaments in Quebec and tend to do well in those tournaments.

https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/fans/youth-and-amateur-hockey

The Kids 'n Community Foundation, the Hurricanes charitable arm, is also pretty active in the community

https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/community/kids-n-community-foundation

 

[the halleJOKEL]

there are way more kids playing hockey here at a much higher level now than there were in 1996, i'll tell you that much

 

[Jonas1235]

sons of NHL players do not count. I'm talking a young boy who chose hockey over football. Still waiting in the Carolinas and Florida to be honest.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

sons of NHL players do not count. I'm talking a young boy who chose hockey over football. Still waiting in the Carolinas and Florida to be honest.

SC: Ryan Hartman
NC: Jared Boll
FLA: Shayne Gostisbehere, Jaycob Megna, Ryan Carpenter

 

[TheLegend]

sons of NHL players do not count. I'm talking a young boy who chose hockey over football. Still waiting in the Carolinas and Florida to be honest.

Of course they count. That’s just a lame retort to your original claim being shot down that there wasn’t any growth of hockey in Carolina because of the Canes.

Kids of NHLers can and do choose sports other than hockey. So what’s the difference?

 

[Negan4Coach]

Seems to me like most of the American players of prominence come from Michigan or Minnesota or Buffalo, ect, naturally. Don't see a lot out of California, although the have THREE teams in that state, or Washington, D.C, but you guys don't whine about all those teams.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

Of course they count. That’s just a lame retort to your original claim being shot down that there wasn’t any growth of hockey in Carolina because of the Canes.

Kids of NHLers can and do choose sports other than hockey. So what’s the difference?

Exactly. He went for the hot take, got proven incorrect, and rather than apologize for being mistaken and choosing to learn from it, he's chosen to double down. Beyond that, there are plenty of youth hockey players in the area whose parents aren't NHL players, including Tyler Weiss who I mentioned earlier. But, of course, that gets ignored. Oh and hey, what's this? He chose hockey over a couple different sports! But, of course, that'll also get ignored.

It took a few different sports for Tyler Weiss to finally find his passion, but once he did, there was no turning back.

Weiss started out in bicycle motocross (BMX) and basketball before discovering hockey.

“I did BMX for about three years,” he said. “I broke my collarbone and I retired. After BMX, I started basketball and then, I got into hockey.”

It was Weiss’ brother Ryan, two years his senior, who helped fuel his love of hockey.

“I was playing basketball at the time but it was my older brother who got me into hockey,” Weiss recalled. “He was playing roller hockey and he switched to ice hockey. I guess he just got into it and he was trying something new. I looked up to him so I always wanted to do what he was going to do. That just happened to be hockey.”

Of course, watching the Carolina Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup in 2006 also provided some extra motivation for the Raleigh native.


“When they won the Stanley Cup, that got me really excited and it really got me into hockey. I think that is when I realized that I wanted to take it seriously,” said Weiss. “I was going back and forth, and I had to make a decision on which sport I wanted to take more serious. I chose hockey and I’m really glad I did.

“Hockey fit me more. I loved the fast pace, the cold rinks and waking up early to go to practice and games, and my teammates. Everything about hockey interested me.”

http://www.usahockeyntdp.com/news_article/show/713204?referrer_id=654408

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

Exactly. He went for the hot take, got proven incorrect, and rather than apologize for being mistaken and choosing to learn from it, he's chosen to double down. Beyond that, there are plenty of youth hockey players in the area whose parents aren't NHL players, including Tyler Weiss who I mentioned earlier. But, of course, that gets ignored. Oh and hey, what's this? He chose hockey over a couple different sports! But, of course, that'll also get ignored.



http://www.usahockeyntdp.com/news_article/show/713204?referrer_id=654408

Sons of LabCorp employees don't count.

 

[cptjeff]

Exactly. He went for the hot take, got proven incorrect, and rather than apologize for being mistaken and choosing to learn from it, he's chosen to double down. Beyond that, there are plenty of youth hockey players in the area whose parents aren't NHL players, including Tyler Weiss who I mentioned earlier. But, of course, that gets ignored. Oh and hey, what's this? He chose hockey over a couple different sports! But, of course, that'll also get ignored.



http://www.usahockeyntdp.com/news_article/show/713204?referrer_id=654408

Wait, he liked the getting up at stupidly early hours part of hockey? Clearly he's some sort of nutcase.

 

[aqib]

Of course they count. That’s just a lame retort to your original claim being shot down that there wasn’t any growth of hockey in Carolina because of the Canes.

Kids of NHLers can and do choose sports other than hockey. So what’s the difference?

Kids of NHLers would take up hockey no matter where they are. The whole "growing the game" thing is about getting people who wouldn't otherwise be interested in hockey to be interested. You can claim Matthews because growing up in Scottsdale he probably wouldn't have paid attention to the sport had the Coyotes not shown up, but someone whose dad played in the NHL will probably take up the sport regardless of where they are living.

 

[TheLegend]

Kids of NHLers would take up hockey no matter where they are. The whole "growing the game" thing is about getting people who wouldn't otherwise be interested in hockey to be interested. You can claim Matthews because growing up in Scottsdale he probably wouldn't have paid attention to the sport had the Coyotes not shown up, but someone whose dad played in the NHL will probably take up the sport regardless of where they are living.

Matthews got the hockey bug after his uncle took him to a Coyotes game. Living in Scottsdale really had little to do with it.

Wayne Gretzky had one son take up football and another played minor league baseball.

There are at least two NHLers who’s fathers played in the NBA.

So you might want to rethink things a bit.

 

[powerstuck]

Matthews got the hockey bug after his uncle took him to a Coyotes game. Living in Scottsdale really had little to do with it.

Wayne Gretzky had one son take up football and another played minor league baseball.

There are at least two NHLers who’s fathers played in the NBA.

So you might want to rethink things a bit.

TL, I agree, but I would say that all kids who have history of pro-sports athletes in the family should not be considered (all sports included).
A son of an NHLer has much higher chances of turning toward an active life (well unless his dad is Phil Kessel who eats hot dogs whole summer , in some cases definitely orientated toward the same sport the family member was part of.

I think the real measure would be...like you said a kid like Matthews who doesn't have a dad or a mom who are a professional athlete, but he discovers the sports and gets the bug for what ever reason.

 

[aqib]

Matthews got the hockey bug after his uncle took him to a Coyotes game. Living in Scottsdale really had little to do with it.

Wayne Gretzky had one son take up football and another played minor league baseball.

There are at least two NHLers who’s fathers played in the NBA.

So you might want to rethink things a bit.

I don't see where we are disagreeing on Matthews. He lived in a suburb of Phoenix, he went to an NHL game in Phoenix and got into hockey. That is a valid example for the "grow the game crowd." The presence of an NHL team got a kid to pick up the sport when he otherwise wouldn't. Living in Scottsdale had everything to do with it. If he grew up in Louisiana where there is little to no notable hockey presence he probably doesn't pick up the sport. A guy whose dad is an NHL player shouldn't count as an example of the presence of the team in a certain market growing the game. If the Whalers don't move to Carolina, Rod Brind'Amour's kid still picks up hockey.

 

[HisIceness]

I think it was 2011, but some hockey team compromised of 12-13 y/o from Raleigh won some kind of tournament in Quebec against teams from Canada and New York. It was kind of a big deal because that was the first time a team from the South won said tournament. Maybe someone like GP knows what I'm talking about, we had a thread about it on the Canes board when it happened but it got purged. I seem to recall Glen Wesleys kid was on the team.

sons of NHL players do not count. I'm talking a young boy who chose hockey over football. Still waiting in the Carolinas and Florida to be honest.

How do we know there isn't some 12 year old in Cary who right now is really good, is from a football/basketball family, and has potential to be an NHL player in 10 years? Not everyone who plays is going to have a shot at the professional level. If that was the case, I'd be an NBA player right now.

 

[Killion]

I think it was 2011, but some hockey team compromised of 12-13 y/o from Raleigh won some kind of tournament in Quebec against teams from Canada and New York. It was kind of a big deal because that was the first time a team from the South won said tournament. Maybe someone like GP knows what I'm talking about, we had a thread about it on the Canes board when it happened but it got purged. I seem to recall Glen Wesleys kid was on the team.

Yep. Carolina Jr. Hurricanes won the 'B' Division of the Quebec Pee Wee Hockey Tournament in 2011, the worlds oldest & largest Pee Wee hockey tournament on the planet. And yes, thats something to be very proud of be it AA or B. Everyone from Guy Lafluer to Mario Lemieux, tens of dozens of pro's have played in the QC Pee Wee Tournament since its inception in 1960. Teams from Michigan & Colorado etc have also done well in Quebec which is great to see, as for most of that Tourneys history its all been primarily Canadian amateur Pee Wee teams competing.

 

[Ciao]

How is the sale progressing? Has a closing date been set?

 

[SunDancer]

SC: Ryan Hartman
NC: Jared Boll
FLA: Shayne Gostisbehere, Jaycob Megna, Ryan Carpenter

Oh, a list. How fun. Now let's do one for Connecticut.

 

[SunDancer]

I don't see where we are disagreeing on Matthews. He lived in a suburb of Phoenix, he went to an NHL game in Phoenix and got into hockey. That is a valid example for the "grow the game crowd." The presence of an NHL team got a kid to pick up the sport when he otherwise wouldn't. Living in Scottsdale had everything to do with it. If he grew up in Louisiana where there is little to no notable hockey presence he probably doesn't pick up the sport. A guy whose dad is an NHL player shouldn't count as an example of the presence of the team in a certain market growing the game. If the Whalers don't move to Carolina, Rod Brind'Amour's kid still picks up hockey.

You don't need the NHL to impress kids with hockey. Matthews could just as well be where he is today had he gone to AHL games growing up. The "Matthews is a product of the Coyotes" argument is just convenient.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Oh, a list. How fun. Now let's do one for Connecticut.

By that rationale, Connecticut should never have had an NHL team in the first place.

NHL players from CT prior to 1988:

Moe Roberts, G, 1930s - 10 games played
Frank Beisler, D, 1930s - 2 games played
Richard Bittner, G, 1950 - 1 game played

Sad!

 

[Melrose Munch]

Who cares about who players hockey right now? Did Greenberg buy the team or not is what I want to know.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Who cares about who players hockey right now? Did Greenberg buy the team or not is what I want to know.

It’s all behind closed doors at this point. Greenberg is doing something along the lines of putting together a group of investors and lining up financing, but we have no idea of the specifics because there’s probably 10 layers of confidentiality over everything. And one of the investors is the biggest news media guru in the city so not much likelihood of the local outlets probing for leaks.

We just have to sit, and wait, and argue about other stuff for the time being.

 

[Slashers98]

Lining up financing, rounding up investors, getting approvals... always the reasons when nothing is really happening.

 

[tony d]

What's the latest here? Seems like things are progressing slowly here with the sale. Be interesting to see what happens.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Lining up financing, rounding up investors, getting approvals... always the reasons when nothing is really happening.

I mean... those are real world tasks that have to be done. We’re talking about securing $500M worth of financing from a group of investors, to purchase a business which is tied up with a government entity... it’s a bit more involved than selling your car on Craigslist.

 

[tarheelhockey]

For what it’s worth, back in the summer when all of this first came up I projected that we should hear actual progress by Christmas. I’m not saying I’m an expert or insider, far from it, but I think 6 months is a reasonable timeframe for something like this.