Carolina Hurricanes' Awards: Like the Oscars, But Less Ryan Seacrest

(auditorium is completely dark except for the light from a playing video)





(voiceover) Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your hosts, presenters and possibly the only people from the team in attendance tonight: TV voice of the Carolina Hurricanes, John Forslund and…Tripp Tracy? (mumbling and loud whispering) This is going to be a disaster.

(John makes his way to the center of the stage with Tripp eagerly trotting behind him) 

Forslund: Welcome everyone! (Tripp waves at the crowd) We’re so glad to be here tonight…it’s a real privilege to be the hosts of the 2010-2011 Carolina Hurricanes’ Awards Ceremony, right Tripp? (Tripp nods vigorously, John gives him an odd look) Tripp you’re awfully quiet tonight, what’s going on?

Tripp: Well John, I heard about this game called (Tripp makes air quotes) Tripp Tracy Bingo and I want to refrain from making food references; talking about Eric Staal or Cam Ward; mentioning players’ families, friends, wives, girlfriends, and pets; saying the words huge, consequence, watershed, groin, sauna, hot tub or time and space. And I certainly don’t want to mention that I used to be a netminder. 

(Audience member jumps up) BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rest of audience: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

(photo appears on screen behind John and Tripp; screaming comes from the audience)

It's a prize no one wants to win, but everyone wants to give.

Forslund (looks behind him, jumps): Holy…Gretzky. Ummm…please everyone just remain calm! We will fix this momentarily. 

(A different photo appears behind John and Tripp)

Audience: AWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

Forslund: (exhales) Alright everyone, let’s just move along and get down to business.  We’re here this evening to honor the best and brightest (and occasionally the most embarrassing) moments of the Hurricanes’ season. And what a year it was!  From starting the season in Helsinki (no need to mention that little pit stop in Old Mother Russia) to the All-Star Game, this season has been filled with memory-making moments for Caniacs!

Tripp: That’s right Johnny! All of these experiences were great for fans, but the team enjoyed them just as much.  It all started with a great trip overseas and a visit to Sauna Island…

(Tripp’s mic cuts out; camera swings to other side of stage where Chuck Kaiton stands looking nervous)

Kaiton: Thatwasquitetheintroductionrightfolks? (nervous laughter from the audience) There’ssomethingthrillingaboutbeingabletowitnessandcalleveryoneoftheCarolinaHurricanes’goalsthisseason. Somanyhavestoodoutasgreatorimportantorpretty. Butonestoodoutamongallofthe235otherones. Itgivesmegreatpleasuretopresentthe2010-2011bestgoalawardto...

(Chuck opens the envelope)

Kaiton: Uhhhh...JeffSkinnerforhisoutstandingshotagainstHenrikLundqvistoftheNewYorkRangers

(Audience begins to applaud; Chuck holds up his hand to stop them)

Kaiton: andJeffSkinnerfor hisequallyoutstandingshootoutgoalagainstNiklasBackstromoftheMinnesotaWild.

(highlights play on video screen behind Chuck; crowd goes crazy)


(camera swings to other side of stage where John stands at a microphone) 
John: I've had the privilege of watching some outstanding moments during my time with this team. I've watched them slay playoff giants, pick each other up in the hardest of times and, of course, win it all in 2006. (crowd roars) All of these moments have been emotional; every season has its heartwarming, tearjerking, heart-string pulling moments and this year was no exception.  I'm here to present the award for the most emotional moment of the season.  This year's nominees are two moments that, while seemingly very different, are actually very alike. First we have Cam Ward's post-game interview from a game against Boston in November.  It was one like any other, the Canes' won the game behind a shutout from their goaltender who had become a father for the first time only days earlier.



(Audience members are shown dabbing their eyes with tissues)

Forslund: Our next nominee was a moment meant to honor a man who, during his time as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes, gave all of himself every time he took the ice.  On a night in February, we honored Rod Brind'Amour's exceptional NHL career and there was not a dry eye in the house.

(Tripp is shown openly weeping backstage)

And the award goes to... (John opens the envelope) Rod Brind'Amour night!

(crowd greets this news with a standing ovation)


(voiceover) At a ceremony earlier this evening, the awards for best goal reaction captured on film and best dressed NHL coach were presented.  Please take a moment to honor this photo for perfectly capturing the pure joy that comes with scoring a big goal:

Also please acknowledge Tommy Barrasso's extraordinary style while working the bench:

(crowd applauds politely. Camera catches Tripp pointing at the photo and giggling.)


Forslund: What's so funny Tripp?

Tripp: Look at Skinner's face!

Forslund (looks and smiles) Yes that young man does make an odd face or two.  In fact, during his rookie season, he's made enough funny faces that we've added a new award, the Funniest Skinner Face award.

Tripp: That's right! There were a lot of nominees this year. I mean a lot. More nominees than members of the Harvard men's hockey team. More than windows in Eric's house. More than... (John cuts in)


Forslund: Ok Tripp. Why don't we announce the winner? This year's Funniest Skinner Face is this beauty from warm-ups against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Forslund: That kid brought a lot of life to this team didn't he? I'm not sure there's anything he can't do.

Tripp: What about fight Johnny?

Forslund: You know Tripp, I don't think we ever saw him really drop the gloves this season and we had a few guys that did with frequency.

Tripp: That we did.  There's no shortage of guys on this team ready to drop the gloves for a teammate...some are just more successful than others and the next two awards reflect that.  First up, the award for best fighter.  Michigan native Tim Gleason has won this award in the past, but this year a new player took on the roll of Rocky for the team. (The words "Hollywood Reference" flash on the screen behind Tripp; audience members search their cards for the right square.) The award for Best Fighter goes to Troy Bodie this year!

"I whip my hair back and forth."

Forslund: Just so everyone is aware, to be eligible for this next award, a player has to still be a part of the team which means, unfortunately, Tom Kostopoulos was out of the running this year.  But, lucky for us a new player stepped up to gamely drop the gloves and end up dazed and confused

Tripp: Oh hey! That's a Hollywood reference Johnny!

(audience members scan their cards for a "Tripp references a Hollywood reference" square)


Forslund: Yes Tripp, I suppose it is.  (John mouths "HELP ME" at the camera) Anyways, this year's worst fighter award goes to Brandon Sutter for this...scrap? tussle? hissy fight? against Eric Brewer.



Forslund: (snickers) Wowza. That kid just should not fight.  It's not one of his talents.

Tripp: No John it's not.  Not everyone is a born fighter and you just can't teach that innate ability. You know what else you can't teach?

Forslund: (sighs) What Tripp?

Tripp: You just can't teach... (audience inhales sharply, pens are poised over bingo cards) the ability to grow a mustache.  (Audience groans in disappointment) 


Forslund: No I suppose you can't...your 2010-2011 Best Mustache winner is Brandon Sutter's SutterStache.

"If you think I'm sexy..."

(voiceover) Ladies and gentlemen, please stay in your seats during this brief commercial break.



(John stands on stage looking solemn) 


Forslund: Unfortunately, Tripp isn't going to be able to join me for this particular award presentation. However, we are very lucky to have a guest presenter for this category who has special insight into the criteria to win this award. Joining me in presenting the award for Best Bromance is....Eric Staal.

(Eric Staal does, in fact, walk onto the stage and is greeted by much applause from the audience. Eric gives a glance over his shoulder and nervously whispers to John.)


Staal: He's not coming out here right? I just present this award and can leave? (John nods, Staal turns to the camera. He's clearly uncomfortable and reads robotically. He keeps glancing over his shoulder.) I have had many great friends while on this team.  They have been fun and we've been very close.  Some may even call these friendships bromances.

Forslund: This year's nominees for Best Bromance are:

Joe Corvo and Erik Cole

Jeff Skinner and Erik Cole

Brandon Sutter and Chad LaRose

Erik Cole and Tim Gleason 

Chad LaRose and Tim Gleason

Staal (still glancing over his shoulder): Wow. That's a lot of great nominees, but only one bromance can win. And the winner is (opens envelope) Jeff Skinner and Erik Cole! 

(Staal vaults off the stage and runs out the back door just as Tripp comes back on stage.)

Tripp: What was all the commotion about? 

Forslund: Nothing Tripp let's move on to the next award.  As broadcasters, we both know that sometimes post-game quotes are tough to get so when we get a really good one from a player, it's refreshing.  In the past players like Tim Gleason and Manny Legace have given us great soundbites.  This year's winner comes from the land of Suomi and reindeer.  Tuomo Ruutu wins this category with his post-game quote from a game against the Washington Capitals. 

There were some plays that we weren't so happy about, you know, hate to start bitching...

Tripp: That Tuomo always knows exactly what to say. It's a gift I tell you. I wish I had it...

Forslund: I do too Tripp. Trust me, I do too.

Tripp: (looks puzzled, but shrugs it off) You know it gives me great pleasure to introduce a very special guest presenter for this next award. Being a former netminder myself...oh shoot. I wasn't supposed to mention that.

Forslund: Please welcome Tom Barrasso!

Barrasso: (comes to the microphone) Thank you for having me here today.  As Vladislav Tretiak once said, "there is no position in sport as noble as goaltending." A goaltender is the last line of defense, the last thing that stands between a win or a loss for his teammates.  Oftentimes, the goaltender is the make or break position and when they stand on their head to make a save, fans get on their feet in appreciation.  Carolina's goaltenders made a lot of great saves this season, but this one from Cam Ward stands out above the rest and fans recognized this.



(A Ward-o chant starts in the audience; Forslund comes back on stage)


Forslund: Thank you Tommy! What a great save from Cam right ladies and gentlemen?  He was a star this year for the Hurricanes, but fans have come to expect nothing less.  This next award honors a player that Canes' fans weren't as familiar with. The Brightest Star award is given to the player who is deemed to have the brightest future with the team.  Last year's winner Jamie McBain is here to present this award.

(Jamie comes to the microphone)


McBain: Thank you John.  It was a great honor to win the Brightest Star award last year and I know this next player views it the same way.  With 63 points, an All-Star bid and an outstanding rookie year, Jeff Skinner's future is so bright we all need shades.  (Jamie puts on a pair of sunglasses; crowd giggles)

Forslund: Let's give Jamie another round of applause for being here this evening! Great kid. (Jamie waves to crowd) Jeff Skinner defied all expectations because no one really had any expectations for him.  This next award honors a player who overcame a difficult go of it last year and wowed us with a complete turnaround this season.  Both Jay Harrison and Erik Cole really impressed this year, but the Best Comeback award goes to Erik Cole, who played what is possibly the best hockey of his career.  Congratulations Erik! 

Forslund: This next award may very well be my favorite of the night.  I have the...I am luck...I get to work with Tripp Tracy on a regular basis and he's always giving us great player interactions.  The Best Tripp Tracy Moment award highlights a moment that made us all laugh, especially me.  Your winner is Joe Corvo's "you're just a fountain of useless knowledge Tripp" comment.  (John chuckles) Oh that gets me every time.  (John continues to chuckle as he walks off stage)

(voiceover) Coming up after the break: Best Shift, the Toughest Player Award, Fan Favorite, Best Hit and Team MVP!



(Tripp and John stand at center stage) 


Tripp: I can't believe the night is almost over John! It doesn't even feel like it's lasted as long as a hockey shift!

Forslund: Funny you mention a hockey shift Tripp because the very next award we're giving out is the Best Shift award.  This year's winner has already picked up a lot of hardware this evening, but it's hard to deny that this shift from Jeff Skinner isn't one of the best of the season.



Tripp: Wow. That's a huge effort! (audience members make a mark on their bingo cards)


Forslund: Agreed Tripp. That kid became an instant star in Raleigh. His teammates love him and so do his fans.  In fact, they love him so much that they've voted him as this year's Fan Favorite.

Look at that grin! It's not a surprise that someone who smiles as much as this kid won this year. After all, last year's winner was the equally smiley Tuomo Ruutu.

Tripp: Speaking of Tuomo, he had an impressive year didn't he Johnny? His 309 hits put him in second place for the entire league! That's amazing!

Forslund: Exactly, he's had Caniacs Ruuing quite a bit this year.  Of course there has to be one hit that stands out among the rest and this hit from a March 1st game against the Florida Panthers seems to do just that.

Tripp: Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! Sorry I've always wanted to do that.  

Forslund: It'd be tough not to want to do that Tripp...almost as tough as dethroning this player from his title as Toughest Player. Tim Gleason has won this award every year so far and this year is no exception.  His teammates voted him the winner of the 2010-2011 Steve Chiasson Award and he's been a strong leader all year long. Congratulations Tim! 

(crowd looks a little intimidated by the ferocity of the Tim Gleason photo shown on the screen behind John and Tripp)


Forslund: Well this is it folks. We've arrived at the last award of the night: Team MVP.  Who's contributions were so significant that he can be singled out and looked at as most valuable? Will it be the 18 year old rookie who dazzled with his maturity and goal scoring ability? Will it be the veteran goaltender that singlehandedly kept his team in games with brilliant stop after brilliant stop? Or will it be one of the last holdovers from the '06 Cup team whose comeback bid and signature offensive move kept opponents guessing this season?  May I have the envelope please?  (Tripp hands John the envelope; John opens it as Tripp tries to peek at the results)


Forslund: Your 2010-2011 Team MVP is none other than...Cam Ward! (Tripp claps his hands in glee) He truly has had an exceptional year which is something that really doesn't surprise Canes' fans who saw him in action during the Cup run.  (video starts to play behind John and Tripp)

Forslund: History found us a hero indeed. Thank you everyone for joining us this evening as we looked back at a great hockey season in Raleigh. On behalf of myself, Tripp and all of the presenters tonight, I hope you enjoyed the show and we'll see you next year!

(audience cheers, a few people quietly remark to their neighbors that they had bingo.  This is met with a lot of shushing as the camera pulls away and the show ends)

No Treats, Just Tricks

It's rare that we get a glimpse into the inner workings of a hockey team. It's rarer still that we see the inner workings of a hockey team's social life. But that's what we're all about here at the Hurricane Siren-breaking boundaries and taking you where no fan has gone before. And when we can't do that, we just make stuff up. Luckily though, we didn't have to resort to lies and Photoshop to bring you scenes from the Carolina Hurricanes' 2010 Halloween Costume Extravaganza! (Ed. Note: We resorted to lies and Photoshop to bring you these scenes from the Carolina Hurricanes' 2010 Halloween Costume Extravaganza.)

The costumes were both impressive and scary. Some were frighteningly accurate and others made you wonder just what the player was thinking (and how much alcohol was coursing through his bloodstream while he was thinking). But you don't want to hear my recap of the evening when you could see some of the night's best moments! So without further ado, let's roll the tape.



As you can see, a great time was had by all, including some unexpected guests (bonus points if you leave the name of the party crasher and the scenes in which he appears in the comments). The group did the Monster Mash and the Time Warp. I even believe that I saw a few players who shall remain nameless break out into the Thriller dance. They ate ghost-shaped cookies, drank Ghoul-aid and chowed down on candy corn (no, I can neither deny nor confirm that Chad had to be sedated before they could get him into the car to go home). Tripp told both wildly inappropriate and completely unfunny Halloween-themed jokes while the band took a break. There was even a pumpkin-carving contest!

But, the best part of the evening may have been the costume parade and contest where everyone brought their best catwalk skills in order to take home the completely nonexistent trophy shaped like a pumpkin. It was a tight contest with the judges having to make a very tough decision. Honorable mention went to Zac Dalpe, Drayson Bowman and Justin Peters for their interpretation of Snap, Crackle and Pop. They almost took it home, especially when the judges realized that they carried a giant cereal bowl around all night long, but ultimately the imaginary trophy was won by our very own Stormy the Icehog. His dedication to his costume (including the false eyelashes and lipstick) really helped him edge out the competition. He definitely went whole hog (so to speak) with his costume and I'm sure he will forever keep that fake trophy on his mantle...or whatever the Icehog equivalent of that is.

It was certainly a Halloween to remember (and one some of us may wish to forget). Happy Halloween Caniacs!

Regular Sibling Rivarly Ain't Got Nothing On These Guys

So...long summer already isn't it? Canes-done. Rats-done. You know you're desperate when you start cheering for Philly just because Leights and Lavi are rocking the black and orange.

Well, clearly the guys over at Edwards Mill Road were a little bored too. They were probably sitting around (possibly playing ping pong in the players' lounge) going "hey you guys we need to do something...anything...". Then out of nowhere a little voice probably piped up "I know! I know! Ohh ohhh pick me!" You see when he wasn't texting or hiding under certain people's beds, Tripp had been working on a plan. "We need another Staal" he declared with authority.

Now I know what you're thinking and it does seem a little redundant to acquire a second member of the same family, but that ol' JR thought it was just crazy enough to work. So he went out and got himself another Staal. No not that Staal. Nope not that one either. Oh come on now people, that's just silly. There you go! That one.

Yup it's official, Jared Staal is a Carolina Hurricane. Well as long as they can sign him by June 1st (UPDATE: it seems they have agreed to terms with Jared) and provided, of course, that he makes the team at some point. But forget those small details, we are just inches away from having more Staals than any other team in the league! That means we're guaranteed to win Stanley Cups! It means the hockey gods will smile on us once again! I can see the promos now and they are Staal-tastic! :does a little jig full of sarcasm:

Honestly, no one knows whether this will turn into anything more than a PR stunt, but it did get me thinking about other brother combos in the NHL. We all know about the Sutters, the Richards, and the Staals. But what about lesser known names like the Millers, the Birons and the Cullens?

Some sibling fun facts first: since the NHL's inception in 1917, 47 brother pairs have played together on the same team with 10 of them winning the Stanley Cup together. Brothers have battled against each other 5 times in the Cup Finals (with the most recent incidence of sibling rivalry being in 2003 when the Niedermayer boys of the Ducks and Devils squared off).

The Miller boys are the first of two American born siblings that are making dinner conversations just a tad more tense. Ryan Miller is probably the better known of the two (Olympic hero, goaltender extraordinare), but baby bro Drew has one thing Ryan doesn't-a Stanley Cup ring (with the Ducks). Who do you think gets shotgun now?

The duo never played against (or with) each other until the two met in the NHL as opponents. The two couldn't be more different. Drew is the more "aggressive" of the two, even giving his brother a shot across the mask during their first NHL meeting. Ryan is more "serious, analytical and even-tempered" and once asked for Star Wars Imperial Guards to "guard his room and keep Drew out of it". But, despite their differences, the two are most definitely friends, even if Drew does give his teammates the inside scoop on Ryan's weaknesses.

The Cullen have definitely managed to fly under the radar as far as "NHL brothers" go. While Matt is very familiar to fans all over the National Hockey League, younger brothers Mark and Joe are definitely less well known. Mark played 32 NHL games for the Blackhawks and Flyers in 2005-2006 and plays for the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. After being drafted by Edmonton, Joe has spent his whole career in the minors and now is part of the Ottawa Senators organization.
The Biron brothers made some history back in November of 2003 when Matheiu (then a defenseman for the Panthers) became the first player in 23 years to score on his brother. Bonus points if you can tell me who the last pair of brothers were that held this record. As Martin Biron, owner of the laser eyes, said:

"The [last set of] brothers probably have been fighting for the last 23 years," Martin Biron joked. "We'll probably be fighting for the next 23 years, my brother and I."

The Canadian born brothers no longer play against each other now that Matheiu has taken his services to Europe and the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. Martin remains in the NHL as one of the many goaltenders in the Islanders' system.

Odds are everyone has heard of the Lundqvist twins, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't jump at a chance to post this picture:
Umm...yeah let's move along. The identical Swedish twins (Henrik is 40 minutes older) became the third set of twins to play against each other in NHL history back in 2006. Growing up the brothers may have had their battles on the ice, but they always considered each other as a best friends first and rivals second. In fact, Henrik (and the Rangers for that matter) has Joel to thank for turning him into a goalie. When a coach asked the group who wanted to be in net, Joel volunteered his brother and the rest, as they say, is history.

Last, but certainly not least, are the Wesley brothers. Glen was, of course, a fixture on the Carolina blueline before hanging up the skates and moving to the front office. But many may not be as familiar with his older brother Blake (also a d-man) who played parts of 7 seasons with the Flyers, Whalers, Nordiques and Leafs before retiring in 1988.

So there you have it. Will the 4th Staal follow in the footsteps of the older three and earn his place in the NHL (and Hurricanes) history books or, like some of the "other brothers" here, will he forever be a footnote on a Wikipedia page? Only time will tell. For the Hurricanes' sake I sincerely hope it's the first one.

We like you! We really like you!

Break out the tuxes gentlemen! Write your acceptance speeches! We are giving out awards here at the Siren to the best and the worst of the Carolina Hurricanes!

Ok so this is a little low rent and there won't be any actual trophies given away, not even the mini ones the NHL gives out. And we certainly aren't lucky enough to have Chaka Khan or Robin Thicke entertain us, but we did manage to convince (read blackmailed) Kris Versteeg to sing Fergie!

:wipes away a tear of laughter: No one tell him this is the Hurricanes' awards ceremony ok? I'd hate to clean up the green room after he realizes what just happened.

Let's get started shall we? The first award tonight is in the Best Post-Game Quotes category. This award is given to the player or coach who best exemplifies humility, humor and self-deprecation to the point of hilarity during a post-game media scrum. Previous winners include Tim Gleason and well...Tim Gleason. This year, however, we are pleased to announce that Manny Legace takes the hardware back to the Shire. Quotes like: "oh yeah I got hit right in the love pillows" and "Well, when you're five foot nothing, you have to use all of your assests" made him the clear favorite from the moment he stepped foot on NC soil. Congratulations Manny!

The Toughest Player award is given to the player that is well...the toughest (sometimes a donkey is just a donkey people). We've been witness to some remarkable moments of strength this season, but one night in Washington, D.C. will always stand out to Hurricanes' fans.

Tim Gleason, we salute you and are proud to give you the Toughest Player award!

Sometimes things happen to force fate's hand. Perhaps we would have added this award anyway, but it'd be hard to argue that the winner didn't help things along. So without further ado, I present the award for Best Facial Expression. The winner showed a dedication and determination to strange and awkward facial expressions, but Eric Staal's baby bird face from the Olympics sealed the deal for him:

Without a goalie where would any hockey team be? This award salutes those few men crazy enough to strap on a pillow and block 100 mph shots with their bodies. The award for Best Save has previously been won by Michael Leighton and Cam Ward. I am pleased to announce that our Campion Wardolie is a repeat winner this year for this Camtastic save on Billy Guerin:

Honorable mention goes to this pinwheel save on Brian Gionta.

Speaking of netminders, it's time to present quite possibly the most frightening award of the evening. The Best Tripp Tracy Moment category always has great entries and this year was no exception. In fact it was so full of Tripp awesomeness that we almost had to name two winners, but after some careful thought and consideration of all that is Tripp we are pleased to announce that Tripp and Zach Boychuk's intermission exchange during a game against Pittsburgh wins the category.

Tripp: Having been selected 15th in the entry draft...
Zach: 14th Tripp.
Tripp: Blah blah blah
Zach: It was 14th Tripp.
Tripp: Err ummm what? Oh yes, 14th.

Thank you for that moment young Zach. I sense that many more great Tripp Tracy interactions are ahead of you. Godspeed Zach.

The Best New Regular award is for the player we can no longer imagine our team without. This player can come to us through trade or as a call-up from the AHL. This year, it was the latter. When you are called "the defining player in our lineup" by your coach, wear the A, and basically become the top defensive forward all while racking up only 2 PIMs at 21 years old, you've pretty much locked this award up. Congratulations to Brandon Sutter for his outstanding season!

The next award is the highly coveted Best Goal award presented to the player whose moment of offensive brillance left us breathless and left the opposing goalie sputtering in disbelief. We've had some really great goals this season, but there is one that stands out above all the rest. Please congratulate Chad LaRose on his mid-air goal against the Montreal Canadiens.

You have a gift my little friend.

You can't score a goal without a little help from your friends and sometimes those assists are prettier than the actual goal. The Best Assist category is intended for just those moments. This year's winner showed that you don't have to be 22 years old to have sick moves.

Yeah Brandon. WOW is right. Rock on little mighty mite.

We were lucky enough to get a glimpse of the future of the Carolina Hurricanes and let me say that the future is so bright we're going to need shades. And with that really corny intro, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Brightest Future award is....Jamie McBain. The 22 year old Minnesota born D-man definitely made a lasting impression on fans around the league with his defensive poise and offensive abilities. He is going to be pleasure to watch for a long time.

For some reason hockey and fighting go hand in hand. There's nothing like a good fight to bring a crowd back to life or swing the momentum in a game. It's for this reason that we present the Best Fighter award every year. Previous winners have pretty much only ever been Tim Gleason. And this year is no exception. Check out this beauty:

Our final two awards are perhaps the most highly anticipated thing since Martin Brodeur's post game extra large pizza. :pause for ripples of awkward laughter:

Alrighty then...the Fan Favorite award goes to the player whose personality off the ice and play on the ice inspires fans to chant his name, buy his jersey and support him at all times. There was really only ever going to be one nominee for this award, but like the Edmonton Oilers, we still had to go through the motions of the entire season. Please join me in congratulating Tuomo Ruutu for his efforts this season!!! The smiley Finn always managed to put on a brave face for the media and fans, but really even if he wasn't smiling, listening to him speak made us smile. His refusal to give anything less than 100% inspired his teammates and his fans. The RBC Center has been Ruu-ing since he arrived in Raleigh and we don't want to stop anytime soon.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Team MVP award which goes to a player who has been deemed to make the most significant contributions to his team. Past winners have included Cam Ward and Ray Whitney. This year, a first time nominee is bringing home the honor. I am pleased to announce that our winner, with a career high 65 points and an unmatched ability to mesh with anyone and everyone, is Jussi Jokinen!!!!
That does it for the ceremony and like all of the best awards shows, we only ran 45 minutes late and had just 2 awkward moments. Congratulations to all winners this evening and remember that while only some of you are leaving with imaginary trophies, there really are no losers here. Well except for A.Ward who is probably still waiting for his invitation to come in the mail. Ok so make that three awkward moments.

Holy Moly What Do We Do Without Our Goalie?!

In probably the least surprising moment of the year thus far, the Canes dropped their 12th in a row to Columbus last night. But no one is talking about that today. Instead everyone is insanely concerned about the fate of our Campion Wardolie who was taken to the hospital after getting cut by Rick Nash's skate. Calamity Cam remains in the hospital and is out for, as JR put it, a "fairly long period of time." Ouch. My heart hurts.

Let us all take a moment to offer a prayer to the hockey gods (or the diety of your choice) for Cam's speedy recovery.

Ahem
Dear merciful and benevolent hockey gods,
I would like to apologize on behalf of all Canes' fans for our blatant disregard of your power and excellence. We shouldn't have cursed you when things didn't go our team's way. We had no right to complain when we lost guys to injury and suspension. How dare we assume we were going to excel this year? That is for you and you alone to decide. We admit we've sinned and we will do anything to repent for these mistakes. If there is anything I can do personally to right this wrong, just send me a sign. I will no longer make fun of E.Staal. I will call Creepie by his real name. I will stop making suggestive comments about Tripp's preferences. But please for the love of Gretzky, give us Cam back. We will never again take him for granted nor shall we question your power over the hockey world if you will give us this one small bit of hope. Amen.

As bad as the Cam in the hospital thing is, what may be even worse is that the fate of goaltending for the Carolina Hurricanes is in the hands of one Michael Leighton. Dear god. Is it too early to cue the locusts and the 7 horsemen? No? Ok I didn't think so. Now to be fair to Leights, he did do admirably well during Cam's absence last season, but that was a much shorter period of time and with a much less fragile hockey club. This is a horse of a different color and it's an ugly one. Leighton is inheriting a mess of a team that usually looks to Cam to be their saving grace. Sadly, I'm not entirely convinced that Leighton has the ability to deal with that situation. And neither Justin Peters nor Mike Murphy are ready to make the leap to NHL level goalie.

So, other than crying (and possibly some heavy drinking-NOTE I am not condoning alcoholism!) what do we do? Should Tripper come out of the press box and mind the nets again? Because I don't know if you knew this, but Tripp used to be a goaltender. Yup that's right, The Hurricane Siren-breaking news first. ;) Should Tommy B. come out of retirement and trade designer suits for Nike-Bauer pads? As fun as both of those options would be, I don't think they're all that realistic. And it's a shame because I had even figured out the perfect tagline John could use when Tripp made a big save-"and the little leprechaun snatches back his lucky charms!" Hehehe. Err...Tripp, I apologize, that was mean and largely uncalled for.

So back to the real world here...I could see one of two things happening.
Option 1-JR could do nothing and let Leighton fend for himself with guest appearances from Peters and Murphy as needed. This idea has some merit to it. The season is all but done (let's be honest here people-a MIRACLE would need to occur for this team to pull themselves out of the basement and we may have used up all of our miracles last season) and to make a desperate move to lock up a goaltender may do more harm than good. Why not let Leights earn his paycheck and prove whether he should be resigned next year or not? Is it really going to hurt our standings that much? FYI-we are in dead bang last so the answer is probably NO.

Option 2-JR could make one last ditch effort to get this team together and start their push for...29th? Ahhh...this appeasing the hockey gods thing isn't working so well for me today. He could trade for a current NHL goalie or bring someone in who doesn't have a team right now. Some suggestions-Manny Legace, Manny Fernandez or Kevin Weekes (JR LOVES TO RECYCLE!). I would still expect someone to get traded even if JR signed an out of work goalie. We are so close to the cap as it is that I don't think there would be room for anyone else (unless they are willing to work for delicious RBCC hotdogs and pulled pork sandwiches in which case-get them to Raleigh NOW).

Regardless of what happens with the goalie situation (Cam-heal like you've never healed before please) the rest of the team is going to need to step it up starting with the d-men. Cam will no longer be there to save their collective hineys and they cannot leave Leights hanging out to dry because he will fold like well...like wet laundry. And I think the D core goes the way of Timmy Gleason which leads me to my final thought for the day. I would like to officially endorse the Tim Gleason for Emperor campaign. Give that man a permanent A. Put him on the fast track for Captain. Heck maybe he and Sutter can co-coach the team while they're at it. (Thanks to Jenniwa30 for the picture.)