RALEIGH, N.C. — Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour followed former teammate Glen Wesley on the red carpet as they walked toward the center of the ice during a pregame ceremony Tuesday night.
It was a reminder to Brind’Amour of what it’s all about.
The Hurricanes wrapped up a three-day celebration of the 20th anniversary of the franchise’s only Stanley Cup season. Brind’Amour was the captain of that team.
“This whole couple days … it refreshed me in the sense that I kind of remember why we do this,” Brind’Amour said. “Twenty brothers I hadn’t seen in a while, but the minute we got together – why is that? It’s because we won.”
Wesley, a defenseman, was an alternate captain on the Cup-winning team.
“It was awesome to be around the guys,” Brind’Amour said. “Seeing (Wesley) carry the Cup was really cool because I know how much that meant to him. I sat with that guy for so long.”
Watching a commemorative video played in the arena was special to the group.
“It doesn’t ever get old for us,” Brind’Amour said. “God willing, I’ll always have that kind of memories and that’s what life’s about.”
More than a dozen players and staff members, including title-winning coach Peter Laviolette, were on carpet for the ceremony, though other players from the championship team had been on hand for activities the past couple of days. Among the absent players was the late Josef Vasicek, though championship team member Eric Staal, older brother of current Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal, wore Vasicek’s No. 63 jersey to honor him Tuesday night.
Brind’Amour said he was proud of how the current team played to a high standard, scoring three third-period goals in the 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus team members attended the ceremony, watching from their bench.
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