With a 6-4-1 record, the Carolina Hurricanes’ regular season is off to the most promising start they’ve had in a while. Star forward Sebastian Aho has extended his season-opening point streak to 11 games, which ties Ron Francis for longest point streak to start a season in franchise history.
Through all of this, the Hurricanes have been branded within the NHL as the team that’s bringing fun back to the game.
It’s hard to miss the new Canes on-ice tradition that takes place after wins at home — a huge group celebration in which players clap their hands over their heads and then skate as a group into the boards (or kayak on the ice). The group celebration started as an imitation of Andrei Svechnikov’s celebration after his first NHL goal, on October 7.
With the first group celebration, though, came the inevitable haters. With every positive tweet celebrating the team, came a negative tweet about how embarrassing the Carolina Hurricanes’ new traditions are.
As fans, it’s easy to forget that as much fun as we’re having in the stands, the players that are the primary source of our entertainment are living up to their job description — they’re playing games. Sports are a great way to have fun as spectators, but the truth is that fans can tend to get so caught up in wanting their teams to win, that they forget that even though players are getting paid to play, what they’re playing is a game.
It’s supposed to be fun. For the fans, yes, but also for the people actually playing.
Justin Williams, captain of the Carolina Hurricanes, cited this exact reason as to why he even started the celebration tradition.
“It’s fun, doesn’t take too long and people seem to enjoy it,” Williams said, quoted in a News & Observer article. “We’re hoping people stick around at the end of some Canes wins and we can have some fun together.”
The Carolina Hurricanes have not made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in nine years. After nine years, the team has undergone several changes, in ownership, roster and coaching staff. The team also seems to have undergone a change in outlook.
It is too early in the season to tell whether or not the Carolina Hurricanes will make it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With the way they’ve been playing so far, as long as some tweaks are made (to the power play, for example) we just may have a chance at seeing our hometown team compete with 15 of the best teams of the league, come April.
Until then, however, I for one am content to watch as the Carolina Hurricanes continue to put the fun back into hockey. Who knows — maybe this shift in attitude is exactly what this team needs to pull together enough to score some goals and move closer to a playoff spot. Sports are fun for the spectators, but if they’re not fun for the players themselves, then what’s the point?
