Panthers, Wolfpack, and Hurricanes oh my!!!!

Heart attack ensuing.




[Edited on September 4, 2009 at 6:50 PM. Reason : 12]

9/4/2009 6:48:49 PM

best month and a half of the year

9/5/2009 4:27:22 AM

Haha, needed to be reposted on page 12

9/5/2009 10:44:59 AM

fags

9/5/2009 11:25:38 AM

they are not playing golf anymore

9/5/2009 11:26:43 AM

Very very sad the prospects tournament is not going to be on TV. Apparently the small rink was too difficult to set up for TV, or so they say. We are playing the Rangers at 3 PM. Hopefully someone will at least be tweeting or something.

Good article http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=497659&navid=DL|NHL|Home

Quote :

"There's a perfectly good explanation behind why the Carolina Hurricanes haven't participated in a rookie tournament since Ottawa in 2005 -- the club just hasn't had the personnel within its system to produce a full team. "Our good prospects were going right to the big team and there was no in between," Carolina General Manager Jim Rutherford told NHL.com. The 'Canes are getting back into the mix this week, however, when a multitude of recent draftees and American Hockey League standouts hit the ice at the Detroit Red Wings training facility in Traverse City, Mich., for the annual NHL Prospects Tournament beginning Sunday at Centre I.C.E. Arena. It marks the first time that Carolina will participate in the five-day event which has traditionally offered coaches and GMs an opportunity to evaluate prospects against players their age. The round-robin format will enable Carolina's young guns to match up against prospects from the N.Y. Rangers on Sunday, Detroit on Monday and Atlanta on Wednesday. A championship game will then be played on Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. (ET). The Hurricanes will play in the Eastern Conference of the tournament while Dallas, Columbus, Minnesota and St. Louis make up the Western Conference. Jeff Daniels, head coach and general manager of Carolina's American Hockey League affiliate in Albany, and assistant coach Geordie Kinnear, will coach the Hurricanes in the eight-team event."I like the fact we get the first look at these big guys playing against their own age group and the guys who excel at it will be invited to the big camp," Rutherford said. "It gives them a better opportunity to excel throughout the whole training camp. We won't bring all our players competing in Traverse City back to North Carolina for the big camp (on Sept. 12), but the players that excel will be there. Getting in a week of scrimmages and practices (in Traverse) will give them a head-start on the guys who are more experienced. It gives them a better chance to do well at the big camp and we're excited about it." Carolina opens training camp with player physicals on Sept. 12 before its first official practice at the RBC Center in Raleigh the following morning. The Hurricanes host the Nashville Predators in their first exhibition game on Sept. 18. Despite the fact this will be Carolina's initial prospect tournament experience within this resort community, the team heading over must be considered one of the favorites. It possesses a tournament-leading three first-round draft picks with Philippe Paradis (27th overall, '09), Zach Boychuk (14th overall in '08) and Brandon Sutter (11th overall, '07). Sutter, the son of Calgary Flames coach Brent, played 50 games with Carolina last season, collecting 6 points and 16 penalty minutes. "He's not far off from becoming a regular on our roster," Rutherford said of Sutter. "He's got great hockey sense and can adapt to situations very well. We brought him in last year and he was coming along nicely until he had his injury (concussion). We want to be a little bit careful and make certain these youngsters get the proper development. Detroit is a good example of how to develop players -- they give them a chance to play in the minors a year or two before playing for the big club." Additionally, Carolina prospects Chris Terry (132nd overall, '07), Harrison Reed (93rd overall, '06), Stefan Chaput (153rd overall, '06), Nick Dodge (183rd overall, '06), Jamie McBain (63rd overall, '06) and Brett Bellemore (162nd overall, '07) have all spent time in Albany. "We've built up the depth in our system and we feel we have a lot of good prospects so now's a good time to get back (to the prospects tournament)," Rutherford said. "Our good prospects were going right to the big team and there was no in between." - Carolina GM Jim Rutherford, on why he hadn't entered a prospects tournament since 2005 Carolina, incidentally, will be replacing the Tampa Bay Lightning in the tournament. The Lightning opted not to return to Traverse this summer after participating the last six seasons. "I think having a different team every now and again adds to the excitement because people wonder what these guys are all about," prospects tournament organizer Peter Correia told NHL.com. One other notable participant for the Hurricanes in Traverse will be goalie Mike Murphy (165th overall, '08), who signed an entry-level contract with Carolina in March. Murphy finished the 2008-09 regular season with an Ontario Hockey League-low 2.08 goals-against average and a league-best .940 save percentage in 54 games for the Belleville Bulls. He finished 40-9-2-2 to help lead the Bulls to first place in the OHL's Eastern Conference. "Looking back on the careers of Eric Staal (2nd overall, '03) and Cam Ward (25th overall, '02), they both took advantage of the work stoppage by playing a year in the AHL before joining the team full-time," Rutherford said. "I believe that was an important year in their development." Rutherford is hoping the Traverse City Tournament will provide a competitive edge for those prospects ready for training camp or preparing for a season in the AHL or CHL."

9/6/2009 10:45:08 AM

Wooo good start in Traverse City this afternoon.

Carolina 5, NY Rangers 3

Shots: Carolina 40, NY Rangers 35

Mike Murphy with 32 saves for the Canes.

Period 1
Carolina Hurricanes - Drayson Bowman (Chris Terry, Nick Dodge) 18:19

Period 2
New York Rangers - Daniel Bartek (unassisted) 3:46
Carolina Hurricanes - Matt Kennedy (unassisted) 15:16

Period 3
Carolina Hurricanes - Zach Boychuk (Harrison Reed) 4:08
New York Rangers - Ryan Bourque (Ethan Werek) 4:49
New York Rangers - Roman Horak (unassisted) 5:10
Carolina Hurricanes - Elgin Reid (Jamie McBain) 17:35
Carolina Hurricanes - Brandon Sutter (emptynet) (unassisted) 19:26

9/6/2009 4:58:50 PM

Day 2:

Carolina 5, Detroit 3

Shots: Detroit 36, Carolina 20

Period 1
(no scoring)

Period 2
Detroit Red Wings - Johan Ryno (Dick Axelsson) 4:40
Detroit Red Wings - Brian Lashoff (powerplay) (Tomas Tatar, Jan Mursak) 6:23
Carolina Hurricanes - Matt Pistilli (Brandon Sutter) 10:56
Carolina Hurricanes - Matt Kennedy (powerplay) (Stefan Chaput, Beau Schmitz) 14:39
Detroit Red Wings - Tomas Tatar (unassisted) 19:59

Period 3
Carolina Hurricanes - Harrison Reed (Stefan Chaput) 1:33
Carolina Hurricanes - Zach Boychuk (powerplay) (Drayson Bowman, Jamie McBain) 3:31
Carolina Hurricanes - Chris Terry (unassisted) 18:38

9/7/2009 8:31:58 PM

was Murphy in goal?

9/7/2009 9:20:16 PM

yes, 33 saves

9/7/2009 9:21:38 PM

awesome

9/7/2009 9:24:15 PM

Recap of yesterday: http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/11390/2009_traverse_city_rookie_tournament_recap_day2/

Quote :

"The Traverse City Rookie Tournament is only halfway completed and already there are tournament heroes. Without question, the best player of the tournament has been Carolina Hurricanes netminder Mike Murphy. With two wins in two games, Murphy is thus far single-handedly held off both the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings, who tonight bombarded him with shots from all angles. Murphy is only 5'11", but he covers the net so well, and has such quick reflexes and lateral movement, that it makes it extremely hard to beat him. Rebounds left in the slot can be his Achilles' heel, but Murphy even shuts that down when the game is on the line. The young netminder is the talk of the tournament."

Quote :

"Final score: Carolina 5, Detroit 3 The most entertaining of the contests today, Carolina netminder Mike Murphy put on a real show tonight. The Red Wings dominated this contest, putting shot upon shot on the Canes net, only to be turned away by Murphy. The rink was packed with fans and more scouts than any other game. The Red Wings have a finely-tuned offense and deserved more in this game, but Murphy was a stone wall for much of the contest, holding the Red Wings at bay until the Canes could score. Unfortunately for Detroit, its netminder, Jordan Pearce, was not on his game tonight, and he let in several soft goals that cost the Red Wings this game. To watch Murphy play was a delight, as he is so strong down low that he is almost unbeatable there. The Canes' Brandon Sutter is clearly ready for NHL play. He is much mature in his play than any rookie in Traverse City, and was a pleasure to watch. "

9/8/2009 10:42:03 AM

ok so boot Leighton and bring in Murphy

problem solved

9/8/2009 2:42:57 PM

wrong.

Leighton is a capable backup at a minimum amount of $$$. he's on the last year of his 2 year deal this upcoming season.

Murphy needs minutes at the AHL level, not watching Ward play 75 games a year while riding the bench. if has a stellar year next year in the minors, bring him up and let leighton go.

but not this year.

9/8/2009 3:04:29 PM

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/11392/qampa_with_jamie_mcbain/

Quote :

"Jamie McBain is a leader on the blue line for a very competitive Carolina Hurricanes entry in the 2009 Traverse City Tournament. He is is +2 and tied for the lead in scoring among defensemen with two assists in two games. This is familiar production for McBain, who last season finished second in the NCAA in points by a defenseman (37) with the University of Wisconsin. He also won the WCHA Player of the Year award, and earned a nomination for the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top performer. McBain provides the complete package on the blueline: size, skill, skating and smarts. In a 10-game stint with Albany the end of last season, the 21-year-old managed just a goal and an assist, but his poise and ability to play in every situation surely made an impression. McBain decided to turn pro following his junior season and could force his way into the Hurricanes line-up as a rookie this fall with an outstanding training camp. Hockey's Future spoke to McBain after practice on Tuesday in Traverse City. HF: You guys have had a good start. Do you feel like you're a contender for the tournament? JM: Yeah, absolutely. You look at the guys in the room, we've got a lot of talent. We got a feel for each other [in the first game]. Hopefully we can keep that going and yeah I think we've got a real good shot. HF: Is the tournament what you expected? JM: I really didn't know what to expect. I just came in looking forward to it. So far it's been a great experience, just being able to get your feet wet a little bit here before training camp. Meet some of the guys, get back to game speed. HF: How would you compare the level of play here to college hockey? JM: It's pretty similar, but you've got some different systems. The players from top to bottom on your team -- there's more depth as far as skill level. Overall it's still the same game but the pace is maybe half a second faster. HF: How important is this tournament for you personally because this is a big training camp for you. JM: Yeah, I'm trying to make sure I get myself into the best shape possible to come into main camp the best I can. This is good for me to get the bugs out from summer hockey and get back at it -- get a few games under my belt before training camp starts. HF: Do you feel you have a realistic shot at making the team? JM: I'm just going to go in there with an open mind and play my hockey, and let the chips fall where they may. Let my play speak for itself. HF: But you wouldn't be unhappy in Albany all year. JM: No, it's part of the growing process, getting adjusted to pro hockey. I'm just going to try to get better each day. HF: Typically when guys forgo their senior year, they think they have a chance at the roster, was that your thinking? JM: Yeah, for the most part I accomplished everything on a personal level that I wanted to get out of college. I just wanted to make that next step and whether it's in Albany or Carolina, I'm going to move forward. HF: What did you learn in your 10 games in Albany that you were able to put into your training over the summer? JM: My strength -- I kind of realized that at this level guys are bigger and stronger and a little bit faster. I put that into my training. Make sure every day that I went into the weight room with the right mindset to get my body in the best physical shape it can be going into training camp. It was nice to get my feet wet in Albany, to feel what it's like to play at the pro level and the different pace. HF: What did you specifically change in the gym? JM: I didn't take any day for granted, didn't take any day off, and made sure I accomplished what I wanted to. I make sure that coming into camp I gave myself the best chance. HF: Where do you train? At Wisconsin? JM: I was back in Minnesota at Shattock-St. Mary's. They have a great weight room and a lot of the pro guys come back. HF: Do you have a plan for finishing your degree? How many credits do you have left? JM: I've probably got about a year and a half left as far as credits. Through the summers and whatnot I'll probably slowly take some classes here and there. It shouldn't take too long hopefully, within the next couple of years, I'm hopefully planning to finish that degree and make sure that college did what it could for me. HF: Did you take any classes this summer? JM: This summer I didn't take any classes. I focused squarely on hockey and training and made sure I was the best I could be."

9/8/2009 3:41:59 PM

Quote :

"Leighton is a capable backup"

uh no he's not....

have you seen this guy play?

especially during a shootout??!?!?

9/9/2009 11:21:57 AM

Mike Murphy has never played professional hockey.

That's all you need to know about his prospects for being an NHL backup this year.

9/9/2009 11:24:26 AM

9/9/2009 11:27:49 AM

ok show the one against the Rangers where he is flopping all over the damn ice and the announcer goes, WHAT WAS THAT...........

one game doesnt mean anything

9/9/2009 11:29:35 AM

or the Flyers game where he let in 4 goals in about 10 minutes.



http://www.canescountry.com/2009/8/11/984914/canes-country-exit-analysis?ref=yahoo

[Edited on September 9, 2009 at 11:45 AM. Reason : .]

9/9/2009 11:32:18 AM

Ward - 2.44, .914
Leighton - 2.92, .901

Those aren't ugly numbers.

But yeah, throw a kid, even a damn good one, against NHL players in his first pro season and see what happens.

I remember Ryan Miller's first NHL game, straight out of college. He was scared shitless, challenging way too much and looking like a fish out of water, and played only sporadically in the NHL until three years later...and I'd think you'd agree that Ryan Miller is a damn fine goalie.

9/9/2009 11:34:49 AM

Ryan Miller and Michael Leighton are NO WHERE NEAR the same talent level

I mean, Leighton could become a good keeper but last year was horrid with the exception of a few games. This year, we can't afford to ride Ward for 75 games at the end of the season. Ward needs a break.

9/9/2009 11:37:50 AM

I'd still take Michael Leighton on his worst day over John Grahame on his best day.

9/9/2009 11:40:17 AM

I was comparing Miller to Murphy.

It's a good example of no matter how much talent you have, a kid in his first professional season is gonna get hammered in the NHL, and it can be a serious derailment in his development.

See also: Fleury, Marc-Andre

9/9/2009 11:40:35 AM

Oh ok.

To be honest I was being sarcastic when I was talking about replacing Leighton with the rook. However, I still think we need some kind of veteran behind Ward and not some AHL goalie. Unless Leighton learns to adapt quickly to the NHL, he just doesn't seem like a long term solution for backup.

9/9/2009 11:44:32 AM

I don't think any adjustment needs to be made, as he's been playing in the NHL since 2003, he just needs to put an element of consistency in his game. You and I both know that he had some atrocious games, and the quality of his numbers indicates just how good his quality games were...he just needs to get there and stay there. The standard Mo system of goalie deployment should help with that, as opposed to the Lavi "just keep playing" system or the alternate Mo "holy shit we have to make the playoffs" system.

I wouldn't be opposed to a veteran backup, but there's no one available who I'd consider an upgrade from Leighton.

9/9/2009 11:49:19 AM

Babchuk's trade is in the works.

9/9/2009 12:15:09 PM

MIKE MURPHY?!?!?!

WITH THE CANES???!?!

9/9/2009 12:34:22 PM

a trade with who?

9/9/2009 12:59:55 PM

^don't know yet, just read on the news & observer that rutherford is working on a trade involving babchuk.

9/9/2009 1:02:25 PM

well we have known that for 3 months

nevermind, found it

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/ccustance.tsn/202177

Quote :

"Expect a Babchuk resolution this week Filed under: AntonBabchuk CarolinaHurricanes E-MAIL | PRINT | COMMENTS 0 Sporting News - User Comments Sep 07, 2009 06:16 PM report abuse TRAVERSE CITY, MI -- I'm up in Traverse City, Michigan for the Red Wings annual prospect tournament. It's usually a great place to get a look at some of the better prospects in the league, and I'll have more later in the week on some of the young players. But I've spent most of the day today talking to coaches and GMs, trying to gather information for our NHL season preview in Sporting News Magazine. During a conversation with Carolina GM Jim Rutherford about the Canes, the conversation shifted to the future of defenseman Anton Babchuk. Babchuk is coming off a 16-goal season but the restricted free agent rejected Carolina's one-year offer. He changed agents, from Jay Grossman to Don Meehan and wants to play in the NHL next season. It won't be with Carolina, but Rutherford said he sees a solution to Babchuk's situation before training camp. "Teams are feeling their way as to where the cap was and how much they had to give him. And now we're getting right down to the end," Rutherford told SportingNews.com. "There's more teams poking around." Right now there are three teams showing serious interest in the Russian defenseman, although one team has the inside track. With Carolina's roster basically set for this season, look for Carolina to ask for a prospect, most likely a defenseman, in return for Babchuk. "I would expect that something is going to happen with him prior to camp this week," Rutherford said. "

[Edited on September 9, 2009 at 1:25 PM. Reason : .]

9/9/2009 1:23:44 PM

hell of a commercial setup they have here

9/9/2009 3:45:24 PM

We put in Alain Valiquette, a tryout goalie, in the third period tonight. He got lit up and Atlanta ran away with the game.

Atlanta 7, Carolina 3

Shots: Atlanta 46, Carolian 36

Period 1
Atlanta Thrashers - Andrew Kozak (Arturs Kulda) 10:31
Atlanta Thrashers - Mike Forney (unassisted) 13:13
Carolina Hurricanes - Matt Kennedy (powerplay) (Michal Jordan, Josh Day) 17:13

Period 2
(no scoring)

Period 3
Atlanta Thrashers - Andrew Kozak (Danick Paquette) 1:13
Carolina Hurricanes - Zach Boychuk (powerplay) (Jamie McBain, Josh Day) 2:26
Atlanta Thrashers - Paul Postma (Evander Kane) 10:06
Carolina Hurricanes - Harrison Reed (Brett Bellemore) 11:59
Atlanta Thrashers - Eric Odell (powerplay) (Andrew Kozak, Paul Postma) 16:55
Atlanta Thrashers - Evander Kane (shorthanded) (emptynet) (unassisted) 18:52
Atlanta Thrashers - Eric Odell (shorthanded) (unassisted) 19:49

Props to Elgin Reid for getting a fighting major in a prospects game.

We are in the championship game tomorrow against the winner of today's Minnesota/St. Louis game.

9/9/2009 6:40:23 PM

IT BEGINS

Quote :

"Canes defenseman Joni Pitkanen will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and will be sidelined for a couple of weeks, general manager Jim Rutherford said today. "

In other news, we play Minnesota at 6:30 tonight for the Traverse City championship. I'll probably make the regular season thread tomorrow.

9/10/2009 10:48:57 AM

whats wrong with his knee? when did this happen?

9/10/2009 11:02:40 AM

Eric Staal shooting promos on ice now



[Edited on September 10, 2009 at 1:56 PM. Reason : [old], should have looked before posting ]

9/10/2009 1:56:31 PM

they must be doing quite a few commercials.. they did it all yesterday and today

9/10/2009 4:19:03 PM

Quote :

"Dear Hurricanes Plan Holder: Your tickets for the 2009-10 Carolina Hurricanes home season have recently been shipped to you via FedEx."

WOO WOOOOO

9/10/2009 4:26:12 PM

got mine yesterday with a STH magnet set. No free preseason tickets though

9/10/2009 4:27:38 PM

Well that is some bullshit

9/10/2009 4:30:26 PM

3 tickets for the price of one:

http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=51886

9/10/2009 4:52:08 PM

2-1 Canes in the 2nd! Zach Boychuk has a goal in every game.

9/10/2009 7:27:27 PM

IT'S ALL OVER

Perhaps we can raise a banner beside this one



Traverse City Prospects Tournament 2009 FINAL
Carolina 4, Minnesota 1

Shots: Minnesota 31, Carolina 22

Period 1
Carolina Hurricanes - Chris Terry (Matt Pistilli, Beau Schmitz) 6:16
Minnesota Wild - Chad Rau (powerplay) (Zack Torquato, Christopher Foucault) 7:41

Period 2
Carolina Hurricanes - Zach Boychuk (unassisted) 7:10
Carolina Hurricanes - Brandon Sutter (shorthanded) (unassisted) 19:18

Period 3
Carolina Hurricanes - Stefan Chaput (Drayson Bowman) 18:53

We were outshot in every game of this tournament by a good margin, but Mike Murphy was just awesome. 30 of 31 turned away tonight. If there is a player of the tournament award I imagine he will win it.

9/10/2009 8:35:13 PM

Response about no preseason tickets:

Glad to hear you are pleased with your seats! In past years the NHL scheduled us for 3 home preseason games and we were able to include that 3rd game in all of our packages at no additional cost. This year, however, we were only scheduled for 2 home preseason games. Since the full season ticket holders pay for those games as part of their package we could not include one with our mini-plans. I hope this clears things up. Please feel free to call if you have any questions or if I can be of any help.

9/11/2009 9:14:48 AM

That response doesn't really make any sense. Oh well guess I'll pick up the $10 ticket (if they are doing them for preseason) for the first game.

9/11/2009 9:59:16 AM

WHAT THE HELL OBAMA?!?!?




in other news...Phillipe Paradis wasn't invited to the Hurricanes training camp....interesting.

9/11/2009 10:41:28 AM

from what i can tell, he didn't do much of shit at the tournament.

9/11/2009 10:54:39 AM

I think they are consolidating the camp a bit this year since it is shorter, and only inviting players who have a legitimate shot to play on the team this year. It's safe to say Paradis does not.

9/11/2009 11:13:39 AM

ok, i was wondering, because he seemed pretty highly touted when we got him. guess he just needs some development time

9/11/2009 11:46:58 AM

It's time: http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=576140

9/11/2009 12:24:45 PM