I am not a big hockey fan, but since I am a native North Carolinian I was pretty happy to see the Carolina Hurricanes win their first Stanley Cup tonight in Raleigh. The talk on all the local news today was about how a Canes win would bring North Caorlina her first pro sports championship. Our first pro championship and it is not for football or basketball, but hockey. A few years ago no one would have ever believed it possible. Congratulations to the Canes!
Since their owner was the ringleader of the cap, and thus the lockout, I hope he’s happy. Hockey will take a long time to recover.
Ratings for most of the playoffs were below the test pattern.
Its the first Stanley Cup Championship, but they had previously won the AVCO World Throphy in 1974 as the New England Whalers in the WHA (World Hockey Association) that later merged with the NHL in 1979 when the team became the Hartford Whalers until the team was moved to Carolina in 1997.
Pirate — but that was not a North Carolina championship. This is our first.
Lorie: I personally don’t care about lock outs or who won what before, I was thrilled to see Rod Brind’Amour and Mike Recchi win a Stanley Cup.
These were two players I found to be my favorites when they were with the Flyers and after 18 years in the league it was sweet to watch.
It was a great final series but I sure am happy that your Canes won!
I went to tons of Whalers games and they never won a friggin Stanley Cup. I even went to the damn parade when they made it to the second round of the playoffs. But no, they had to wait until they moved to N.C. to stop sucking.
By the way, the mascot of the Whalers was a whale, and a common root was “Go whale!” But whalers are supposed to kill the whale. I guess they could be using whale as a verb in the chher, but the mascot still doesn’t make sense. If they had just had a bloody harpoon sticking out of the whale, then it would have made so much more sense.
Whatever, Hartford stole the Wolf Pack (Rangers farm team) from Binghamton and they’ve been doing great. So screw you Ron Francis and Keith Primeau and Chris Pronger (traded for Primeau and some deuche who ended up on the Blackhawks). We’ve got P.J. Stock, or did anyway, sometimes. So yeah!
We just got back from Glenwood Avenue near downtown Raleigh. Everybody’s having a good time down there.
Respectful crowd. Great sports fans. Basketball, football, hockey, whatever. Bring it to NC.
Thanks, Hartford! We owe you a beer!!
None of the details make any sense to me, as I don’t rely on guys missing that many teeth to even advise me on car repairs, but I do respect hockey more than some really wimpy non-scoring sport-like activity such as soccer.
I mean, at least they are on skates on ice and carrying large sticks. There’s an element of danger beyond rolling around on the grass in your faggy short pants pretending you are hurt in the hope of attracting a penalty against the opponents.
Now, please understand that my disparagement of soccer is intended only to discourage the participation of your male children in that sport-like activity. Your daughters should be free to enjoy it. It’s hard to imagine a “girlier” “sport” anyway …
😉
Congrats to Carolina Canes, the best team won. Now, can we have Aaron Ward back please?????
Glen Wesley can finally retire.
They still play hockey professionally here in the States? /sarc
Just like baseball, they took a hike. My interest and dollars did likewise as I have better things to do with my income and time.
GMAC – dittos. I lost interest in my St. Louis Blues. At least I could count on their extended season every year. We always knew they’d go one or two rounds into the playoffs, as they has for, what, 25 seasons? And maybe even sniff the cup once or twice. But no more.
Now, it’s like, St. Louis has a hockey team? Who’d a thunk it?
Let’s get real… if lakes in your state don’t freeze over naturally during winter… you shouldn’t have a hockey team.
It’s just wrong.
I was one of three original Directors of Hockey Operations for the Compuware Hockey Club in Detroit in the early ’80s. I sat many times with Pete Karmanos (Carolina owner) and Jimmy Rutherford (Carolina President & GM.) talking about Pete’s vision and plan of how he was going to purchase an NHL team and exactly how we were going to make it happen. We learned by purchasing a Major Junior Hockey Team and learning the ropes. His plan had a few bumps in the road, but he stuck to it and made it happen. Karmanos is an extremely intelligent businessman (MENSA member,) and Rutherford a great judge of talent – they make an excellent team. I’m happy for them and the Carolina players and fans. Their hard work and persistence paid off.
Wow, he must be a member of MENSA if he had envisioned and then laid out this particular path to the Stanley Cup. To me, Karmonos is and always will be a carpetbagger; Bettman, a sock puppet. Congratulations to the Cane players on a great year. Congratulations to Peter, Gary and Jim too for guaranteeing themselves future financial success no matter what the product, market or interest base. On a side note, kudos to Rod Brind’Amour for just taking the cup when Bettman, eye lashes fluttering, inappropriately decided to verbally massage Karmonos’ ego during the presentation ceremony. Exactly who is running this league?
Robert: Karmanos was part of the solution that turned Hockey around. Ratings for EVERY televised sport is down, too many games, too many other channels.
Adjoran: Something tells me you couldn’t run twenty feet without gasping. You probably sucked at soccer so now you hate it. So why choose a positive moment such as the Canes winning the cup too post that self centered drivel?
Big Mo: The Blues will be back in a big way, probably sooner than you think.
D. Dore’: That may have been the stupidest comment I’ve ever read in a blog
Lakestate: I hope one day that Peter Karmanos will shed his undeserved “carpetbagger” reputation