RALEIGH, N.C. -- There were new players, a new head coach and a renewed sense of optimism at Carolina Hurricanes Media Day. The Canes enter the 2018-2019 season seeking to make the postseason for the first time since 2009.
- Fan favorite Cam Ward, along with former first-round pick Jeff Skinner are gone
- One of the new teammates could be this year's 2nd overall pick in the NHL draft, Andrei Svechnikov
- Training camp for the Hurricanes begins Sept. 13 and their first preseason game is Sept. 18
New coach Rod Brind'Amour is well aware of what needs to be done.
"At the end of the day what has to change, we have to win," Brind'Amour admitted. "That's what's left to do. It's easy to talk about it, got to go out and do it."
Fan favorite Cam Ward, along with former first-round pick Jeff Skinner are gone. A new crop of talented has skated into Raleigh.
"We might have 7, 8, 9, 10 new faces on a team," Brind'Amour said. "We're going to potentially have a few teenagers playing. It's not a recipe for success necessarily, but I like the challenge."
One of those teenagers could be this year's 2nd overall pick in the NHL draft, Andrei Svechnikov. He and some of the unfamiliar faces are eager to get going.
"I skated [with Hurricanes teammates] four times. It was fun," Svechnikov beamed. "Just honored to skate with those guys."
"Looking at that blue line and being a part of that and [I'll] hopefully try to help this team get back in the playoffs," said new defenseman Calvin de Haan. "I want to help this team win and things are going in the right direction here."
Training camp for the Hurricanes begins on Sept. 13 with their first preseason game dropping the puck on Sept. 18.