Much has changed for the men’s ice hockey team since last January’s Canes Cup. The coaching staff and several of the faces on the bench remain the same. But the motivation behind and name of the Pack’s only home tournament of the season have been dramatically altered.
State’s men’s ice hockey club lost goaltender Stephen Russell to an accident July 4 and retired his jersey before a game against UNC-Chapel Hill earlier this season. From now on, the weekend-long home event formerly known as the Canes Cup will be known as the Stephen Russell Memorial Tournament presented by the Carolina Hurricanes.
“When we sat down as leaders and talked about what we wanted to do to honor him, this was one of the first things we wanted to do,” Kurtz said. “Over the course of time, it will be remembered by the team.”
It has taken time and plenty of sadness, but Russell’s teammates and friends are moving forward while still making sure his memory is honored.
“We have the banner with his number up there, but that memory will fade,” Kurtz said. “In five years, fans will wonder why the No. 20 is up there. This way, every year there will be something in the program about who he was. It allows us year in and year out to honor him.”
Due to a scheduling quirk, the team played almost exclusively on the road during the fall, criss-crossing the East Coast and compiling a 6-7-1 record. Starting goaltender Wil White, a senior in accounting, said the team is looking forward to a return to the Rec Zone.
“We only had three home games the first semester and now I think we only have two or three road games,” White said. “It will be nice to play in front of our friends, family and fans. We’re really looking forward to it.”
The Stephen Russell Memorial Tournament boasts more teams and more games this time around. The first round, held Friday, Jan. 15, will pit Maryland against Duke, Rowan College against UNC-Wilmington, State against UNC-Charlotte and East Carolina against Appalachian State.
This is a far cry from last year’s Canes Cup, when most of the visiting schools’ names were not easily recognized by the home crowd.
“It was always our hope to have some local teams involved. Last year, we couldn’t get people’s schedules on the same page,” Kurtz said. “Traveling with a team is an expensive venture.”
With last year’s champion, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, not set to return, White said he expects Rowan and the University of Maryland to be the Pack’s chief rivals in the tournament.
“A lot of real talent comes out for this tournament,” White said. “It’s kind of a big deal for us.”
The Pack hasn’t prevailed at its home tournament in several years. Duke won the Canes Cup title in 2007 and Virginia Tech claimed it in 2008.
One match-up in particular will carry additional intensity, regardless of what is going on in the standings.
“A lot of guys know players [from East Carolina,]” Kurtz said. “There’s a lot of history of players knowing each other through high school. If we could both win, we would.”
Kurtz said he hopes the home tournament will serve as a springboard for the rest of the season. The team is below .500 overall but only second in its division behind Virginia Tech.
“We wish our team record was a little better,” Kurtz said. “But while it may not look as good on paper, we’re happy with where we are. We have games in hand and we’re in control of our own league standing. The experience we have coming into the season will give us a better chance.”
