As I sit here watching the three hour Winter Classic retrospective I accidentally TiVo'd because of the weird start time, I keep coming back to the comments almost every single player has made about playing an outdoor NHL game: "it's just like when we were kids." Now, isn't that a refreshing concept? Taking these guys back to the days before the multi-million dollar contracts, the stadiums full of fans and the celebrity allows fans, if only for the briefest period of time, to see them for what they really are-guys playing the game they love, just like before they were NHL stars.
And, as is often the case with me, I took that idea and ran with it a little bit. I began to wonder what the Hurricanes had been like before they hit the big time. What photos of these wide-eyed and innocent boys would show up in the montage NBC played during a stoppage? I had to know. So with the help of Google images and some very dedicated friends, I tracked down some photos of the guys from way back when that I think everyone will enjoy.
I learned a few things while searching for these pictures, with possibly the biggest lesson being this: our hockey team has made many a poor hair-styling choice in their day. Trust me...it's not pretty.
First up is newly recalled d-man Brett Carson whose hair looks suspiciously like a soft-serve ice cream cone. How he got that swirl going is just beyond me.
I'm thinking the refusal to cut one's hair must be a common occurrence among 2004 draft picks because here's Pete-Dawg looking less like a pro goalie and more like a beach bum searching for his surf board.
I'm not sure a discussion of Hurricanes' hair would be complete without an appearance from Ian White's Hair. If it's currently impressive enough to produce its own Twitter hashtag than you can sure bet it was pretty noteworthy back in the day of frosted tips.
I'm sure I'm not the only one that appreciates him moving past that stage in his life.
The Checkers are not only a good source of talent for the Canes. They also carry their fair share of interesting photos from the past. First up is Justin Pogge who much like every guy his age seemed to have an affinity for strange necklaces made of sea shells. I think the feathered hair adds a nice touch as well.
And in case you think Pogge is the only Checker with strange accessories in his past, here's Drayson Bowman doing his best Bob the Builder impersonation.
Our Finns contribute big minutes and big goals on the ice. Off the ice, they've contributed big photos to this blog entry. First up, Jussi Jokinen.
In case you're wondering, yes that beach photo is part of the series of pictures that included the now infamous "Oh So Sexy" shot.
Jussi's childhood friend gets a lot of grief from me largely due to his not so little noggin, which Canes' fans know has very little coverage. So imagine my surprise when I managed to track down not one, but TWO photos of Joni with hair!
Raleigh's favorite Finn has rocked a lot of different looks throughout his lifetime included almost shoulder-length fluffy hair. But something about these two pictures seemed to truly capture his essence.
I really like that first picture because he's wearing a Toronto Raptors sweatshirt and what appears to be a Vancouver Canucks hat. That just screams first visit to Canada.
Our blueline has skill, finesse and more than just a little snarl thanks to this next group of guys. First up we have Jay Harrison looking very young.
From he who looks very young to he who is very young we go.
Look at him all baby-faced from freshman year!
Jose Cuervo back before he was legally allowed to drink any.
If you thought for a second I wasn't going to break this bad boy out for Timmy, you clearly don't know me well enough. So young, so cute and so decidedly unsnarly...how can you go wrong?
The next group of photos comes from our forwards and I feel the need to warn you that there will be bad hair, some awkward poses and more adorable baby faces than you can shake a hockey stick at.
I'm pretty sure the person that took Chad's picture was immediately given some sort of award for making him stand quietly.
This little guy scored his first NHL goal against Martin Brodeur. Any guesses as to who he is? Leave your answer in the comments!
There's just something about college roster photos and rookie cards that make you want to share them, especially when they contain hair parted down the middle.
Look at that hair...it's like Sonic the Hedgehog got a hold of a bleach bottle and then jumped into a vat of gel.
Wow. I just don't even know what to say. It's like they took his current face and photoshopped it onto a teenager's body (especially in that first one). The man is ageless. Maybe it's the special elf water he drinks or something.
Even though they never played for Red Deer at the same time, there seems to be a commonality between Ward and Sutter in their roster photos.
Now I know what you're thinking: "hey she missed someone. Why isn't there a Skinner picture in here?" Well dear reader, I believe in saving the best for last. And trust me, this is BY FAR the best one of the bunch.
Wow. I just don't even know what to say. It's like they took his current face and photoshopped it onto a teenager's body (especially in that first one). The man is ageless. Maybe it's the special elf water he drinks or something.
Johnny Sideburns back in the day.
And just when you thought this was going to be a Tripp free post, I sucker punch you with a shot from his college days.
Now I know what you're thinking: "hey she missed someone. Why isn't there a Skinner picture in here?" Well dear reader, I believe in saving the best for last. And trust me, this is BY FAR the best one of the bunch.
Oh dear heavens. Have you ever seen anything so cute? Look at that big ol' classic Skinner grin after he received his bronze medal back in 2004. Finding that picture made this whole thing totally worth it.