Thursday, February 17, 2011
Posted: 2 p.m.Updated: 5:21 p.m.
By Tim Panaccio
CSNPhilly.com
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Eight days had passed since Eric Lindros was diagnosed with a concussion on that blustery morning on Jan. 23, 2000, in Pittsburgh.
Without Lindros, the Flyers lacked a big centerman. For five days, general manager Bob Clarke weighed the pros and cons of moving Rod BrindAmour to Carolina for restricted free agent Keith Primeau, who was refusing to re-sign with the Canes.
Roddy, as Flyer fans called him, was nothing short of beloved in Philly. He defined the essence of orange and black for more than eight full seasons and was Ed Sniders favorite Flyer.
Clarke knew this wouldnt be a popular move -- BrindAmour held the clubs franchise record Ironman streak of 484 consecutive games. Yet Lindros health worried Clarke.
That afternoon, the deal was done.
NHL
Though Canes general manager Jim Rutherford never suspected it, the very course of his teams history would be forever altered.
Six seasons later, BrindAmour, then Peter Laviolettes captain, would bring the Stanley Cup to Carolina.
I think the world of Rod, not only as a player, but as a person, Laviolette recalled recently.
You go back to the player and that year 2006, he came in and he was named captain of that team, for the first time. What he did during the regular season and what he did during the playoffs, was nothing short of spectacular.
Friday, the Hurricanes will retire BrindAmours No. 17 sweater in a special pregame ceremony at the RBC Center. Both the Canes and Flyers have some very special gifts for him.
Die hard Flyer fans consider BrindAmour as forever, a Flyer.
When I first got traded from Philadelphia to Carolina, I had just come off a broken foot, and actually had re-broken it when I first got here, BrindAmour recalled. I played the whole rest of the year with that.
I guess that's probably the one thing where I wonder how I managed to get through that. Every guy has played through so many things. Part of the nature of why hockey players are the kind of players they are and why theyre perceived as being so tough is because they actually do play through a lot of things.
Thats the kind of guy BrindAmour is. Todays players reflect the vast changes among fitness programs within the NHL. BrindAmour was a pioneer devotee to fitness like no player of his generation.
He actually began training as a 12-year-old, growing up in Campbell River, Canada.
My dad had a job, it was a pipefitter job, one of those tough jobs, and he always told me youd better do something different than the next kid if you dont want to end up doing what I have to do for a living, BrindAmour said.
From then on, I just said Ive got to work harder than the next guy and give it everything I have. I dont have any excuses if things don't work out. That was just kind of my mentality I guess when I played and when I trained, and I took it pretty seriously pretty much every day I was a player in this league.
Fitness is why Roddy lasted 20 seasons in the NHL.
When BrindAmour came to Carolina, his mission was simple.
I needed someone to teach our team not just how to win, but what kind of commitment it would take to win and Rod had that, Rutherford once told me. He and Ron Francis started to change the mentality of our players.
BrindAmour led by example. Both of his Selke Trophies, as the leagues top, defensive forward were won in Carolina (2006 and 2007).
I do like the fact that the Selke Trophy in the last few years especially," BrindAmour said,"has gone to a guy who not only plays well in his own end, but can also score.
So I think thats where that award needs to go, and Im glad theyve done that the last five, six, seven years for sure. I take pride in that because I like playing both ends of the rink, but I was able to put up some good numbers, too.
BrindAmour gave up the Canes captaincy to Eric Staal in January of 2010 and retired after last season. He admits hes been thinking about Fridays ceremony and recalling the Canes 2006 Stanley Cup run.
BrindAmour had 12 goals and 18 points in 25 games that postseason. Without his presence and determination to win, Laviolette said, the Canes would not have won the Cup. BrindAmour admits thinking back to that magical time this past week.
Around here, we seem for whatever reasonwell, now obviously we're talking about it a lotso I have had a lot of time to kind of rehash those," he said, "and every time I do it kind of puts me back in those moments and reminds me of that special time.
Thats whats great about playing sports and having success - when that happens, you can never get it taken away from you. You'll always have that. There's not one moment in that run that necessarily was more important than the others or one goaltheyre just kind of all special. Im very fortunate that I was able to contribute in that way.
BrindAmour works with the Canes minor leaguers right now and is also trying to learn the business side of the game. He has much to pass on to Canes prospects.
Its basically just knowledge, he said. I watch all their games, and Ill go down there and sit with them individually with them a little bit and just try to help them from what I see and how to get them to this level.
We're an organization that, unlike maybe in Philadelphia and other teams that dont rely on their minor league system too much, we need these guys to play and be effective. I think theres a little more emphasis on our minor league team than maybe there, so any kind of help they can get to get them better quicker is what Im trying to do.
Rutherford thinks BrindAmour has a career ahead of him in the front office.
Hell come to me with something, Rutherford said. It will be short and to the point, but boy, does he hit right on. And its something that is out of the ordinary, that others wouldnt see.
Weve been very lucky to have Rod. He has been such a tremendous benefit to our organization. I dont know what his plans are, but were lucky to have him here because he sees things that others dont. Weve got plenty of time for him to figure out what he wants to do.
BrindAmour scored 452 goals, played 1,484 games and totaled 1,184 points during his career. A Hall of Famer?
I believe he is, Laviolette said.
When BrindAmour came to the Flyers from St. Louis, he was offered No. 10 or 17. Dan Quinn, who was also part of that 1991 trade, wanted No. 10.
There wasn't too many options, BrindAmour said. So, it kind of fell into my lap, is the best way to put it. There wasn't any main reason other than that.
The sky is always Carolina blue, down here. Inside the RBC Center though, its red and white up by the rafters where BrindAmours number is going.
Once that moment is happening," BrindAmour said of the ceremony, "everything will have already been done, so thatll probably be a lot of relief on my part.
But thatll be special to look up and see that every time you walk in there, its kind of a reminder of a pretty good accomplishment and always brings back a lot of great memories.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net