After a run of Coffee Shop polls and discussions primarily looking forward to the 2017-18 season, today’s edition goes a different direction and takes a trip down memory lane and back to where it all began.
In addition to franchise cornerstones Ron Francis and Rod Brind’Amour who date back very close to the genesis of Hurricanes hockey, the time period also features many of great names in Hurricanes history including names like Nelson Emerson, Arturs Irbe, Sami Kapanen, Bates Battaglia, Jeff O’Neill and more.
Paired with today’s Daily Cup of Joe article which has the first five entries in a ‘Top 20 days in Carolina Hurricanes’ history’ theme to commemorate the team’s 20th anniversary, today’s polls and discussion also looks back at the early days of NHL hockey in North Carolina.
Carolina Hurricanes polls
Please remember to click ‘vote’ after each individual poll response.
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Discussion questions
1) For those who were fans during the first four years of Hurricanes hockey, what are your greatest memories? For those who are newer to Hurricanes hockey, which stories stand out most to you when you learn/hear about Hurricanes’ history?
2) Who are your favorite players from the 1997-98 to 2000-01 era in Hurricanes history and why?
3) If you were to get one retro player jersey NOT from Francis, Brind’Amour and Wesley, who would it be?
Go Canes!
1. My first live Hurricanes game was Game 1 vs. NJ. I sat in Sec 328, and we won 2-1. So I got the full experience
2. Irbe. A good goalie, and one heck of a quirky guy.
3. Josef Vasicek. One of those depth guys that really helped the team click
My memories of CANES HOCKEY start AT THE VERY BEGINNING!
1st year 1st pre-season game… in the Greensboro Coliseum!
As a “Founding Partner”…ie original STH (season ticket holder)…
My wife, a co-worker, her husband, and I shared TWO TICKETS, so we could go to half the games. As it worked out (due to low attendance) we were able to get reduced-price tiks for more games, so I saw about 2/3 of the games!
We had seats in the 3rd level, and there was a lot of empty ones, on a normal basis. The visiting team announcers (and sometimes ESPN) would sit in the first couple rows below us, so guys like John Davidson and Panger were nearby us…we had some great conversations with them, and it was always hilarious that Pangs would have to sit on a milk carton sooo (when shown on TV) he would be at the same level as his co-announcer! …Panger is five foot tall (maybe), and Davidson is over 6’…!!
At the end of each period we would rush down stairs to get a drink, and there were ONLY A FEW TABLES there that you could set your glasses on… it became a race to get a table! Well I was old (still competitive, but old), and IT GOT OLD…Sooo I suggested to some of our COMPETITORS “let’s share a table…!” Problem Solved!
We became friends, the next year we often rode the bus from the TRIANGLE to G’BORO (and back)…
The first year at the ESA- (Ral.) WE STARTED THE BEST TAILGATE IN ALL OF HOCKEY! …well it was one of the first, so I’m not exaggerating too much, really, and eventually it became THE EAST-GATE TAILGATE…with it’s own FACEBOOK page!
We had a pig picking (cooker and the works) set up (on the east-side) for the All-Star Game! …needed approval from the NHL for that…
The tailgate wasn’t just a few games a year, we were out there rain/ snow/ sunshine…probably 90+% of the games!
The playoffs WERE TAILGATING ON STEROIDS… THINK about 70 people…and maybe sometimes near 100.
A few years ago (when Lobster was reasonably cheap) we had a lobster – boil (whole 1.5 lb.lobsters) 15+… It was so much fun…that a couple weeks later we did it again!
There is always the downside to life…
in the last couple years three of the group (all younger than me) have died.
Great memories puckgod. This is the type history with the team that the News & Observer should print and the Canes should publicize. It highlights what an experience you can have following the Canes beyond just the game on the ice and where we are in the standings. It also highlights to me how important it is to have a nucleus of fans who are really into hockey like you. I don’t think ANY franchise can survive without a lot of puckgod type fans.
I forgot…how could anyone forget the Grim-Reaper?
STU GRIMSON…the man, the legend…I even saw him score a very nice wrap-around goal in G’boro.
1. My memories of the team go further back having grown up a fan of the Whalers during the mid 1980s. So for prehistoric purposes, earliest memories were the 1986 quarterfinals win against Quebec, seeing a handful of games at the old “Mall” in Hartford, and the last ever Whalers home game where Kevin Dineen scored the last goal. Greatest early ‘Canes memory was Kevin Dineen scoring the 1st ever Hurricanes goal, ironically, and later seeing the playoff series in 1999 against Boston. I recall being at game 3 in Boston just before we lost 3 straight.
2. Agree with dogbutler, I have a picture of Irbe in my man cave. He was exactly what the new team in Carolina needed. Also Gary Roberts!
3. Archie Irbe and Kevin Dineen.
Where’s the Been a fan since 1979 vote button?
my first canes experience was the 2002 playoffs, I think we played NJ the first round but correct me if I am wrong. What amused me the most was just how nasty Irbe’s pads were and it appeared that the opposing team was trying to avoid making contact with them for fear of cooties. That and 18k+ chanting “ref you suck” had me hooked.