If you live in North Carolina, chances are you’ve seen the Carolina Hurricanes logo and maybe been to a game or two. Well, today I'm going to go over the best players that have played for the Canes over the years.
5: Sebastian Aho is the only player on this list who is still playing on the team. He's also played the least amount of games with the team, playing in only 409 games as of this article. Despite playing the least amount of games with the team, Aho is fourth all-time in points in Hurricanes history. Aho played a major role in helping the Hurricanes make the playoffs in 2019 after a 9-year drought. He has led the team in points over the last five years and shows no signs of slowing down.
4: Glen Wesley was a player who played for the hurricanes from 1994 to 2006 with a brief stint in 2003 with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Glen Wesley served as an alternate captain when the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in 2006. After retirement, he worked for the team until 2018 when he was hired by the St. Louis Blues and won the Cup as a scout in 2019. He played 1,457 games in the NHL and scored 537 points. He is one of three Canes players to have his jersey retired by the team.
3: Eric Staal was the Hurricane's 2nd overall pick after the awful 2003 season. Eric Staal would develop into the face of the franchise and the most popular Hurricanes player. Eric's rookie season was a good one for the young star, as he put up 31 points in 82 games on a bad Hurricanes team. The next season the league experienced a year-long lockout. Fortunately for Staal, the Hurricanes minor league team would still be playing. This allowed Staal to develop his game. The next season Staal put up 100 points in 82 games. He also helped lead his team to their only Stanley Cup. Staal would become the captain of the team in 2010. In 2011 he played in the all-star game hosted in Raleigh. In 2016 it was announced that Staal was traded to the New York Rangers, where he played only briefly. Staal would go on to play for the Minnesota Wild, Buffalo Sabres, and Montreal Canadians, where he helped the team go to the 2021 Stanley Cup finals before losing to the Tampa Bay Lighting. Staal was captain of Team Canada’s hockey team that played in Beijing.
2: Ron Francis is one of the best Carolina Hurricanes players of all time, having been the captain of the team when they were the Hartford Whalers and the Hurricanes. Ron Francis leads the Hurricanes in games played, goals, assists, and points. Ron Francis ranks 2nd all-time in NHL history in assists and ranks 5th all-time in points and won 2 Stanley Cups. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. Today, he is the general manager of the NHL's newest team, the Seattle Kraken.
1: Rod Brind'amour became a key part of Hurricanes history after joining the team in 1999. Brindamour was known to be a reliable defensive player who could also score goals. He helped the Hurricanes make it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2002 and captained the team to their first and only Stanley Cup Championship in 2006. Afterward, he played for 4 more years until he retired in 2010. Brind’amour played a total of 1,484 games in the NHL, most of them with the Hurricanes. Afterward, he was hired by the Canes as their assistant coach. In 2018 he received a promotion to head coach of the team and helped the Hurricanes make the playoffs after nine straight years of not making it. He continues to help the team every game and hopefully coaches the team to their second championship this season.