The Carolina Hurricanes missed the NHL playoffs. Again. And it’s a team with issues, and those issues start at the top says Raleigh News & Observer columnist Luke DeCock:
Even as the Carolina Hurricanes wrap up a fifth straight season without a playoff appearance Sunday at the Philadelphia Flyers, fans will be happy to know the team is in great shape. Just ask owner Peter Karmanos, who wouldn’t mind your season-ticket deposit if you happen to have it handy.
“I think we have all the pieces in place,” Karmanos said in an increasingly infamous interview with FS Carolinas on Tuesday. “We might have to do some tweaking here and some tweaking there, change some attitudes here, some attitudes there, but all in all, I think we got a good thing going.”
That interview with team broadcaster John Forslund aired during the first intermission of a 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers that eliminated the Hurricanes from playoff contention, was presumably an attempt to placate restless fans. Karmanos only managed to infuriate.
“I need the fans to be even more patient than they have been,” Karmanos said. “Our season-ticket renewals right now aren’t good, and I don’t blame anybody because we’ve missed the playoffs for five years, but when we do go back on the ice next year, we need that fan support.”
Why even more patience is so important is unclear, though, since Karmanos also said the front office and coaching staff are doing a great job – general manager Jim Rutherford’s expected departure was not mentioned – and he doesn’t think reconstruction is necessary: “We’re not in a situation where we have to tear everything down and build over again.”
You can read more of DeCock’s column here.
Why this matters: The Charlotte Checkers are Hurricane’s top minor-league affiliate. And ultimately, if there are problem with the parent club, that extends down into the minor leagues.
