The Hurricanes' head coach talked about the difficulty of losing players in free agency.
When you're a coach who is as heavily intertwined in a team's culture as Rod Brind'Amour, everyone feels like family.
So when pieces of that family go away, that crushing blow feels all the more painful.
At last month's development camp, Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour spoke with the media in attendance about the losses in free agency, the organization's front office and his excitement for the new players.
Here's what he had to say:
On the new look of the team: Well, it's going to be interesting. It's going to be exciting too to get to know some new faces and bring them into the group and that's part of it. The unfortunate part of the business in pro sports is that you do have turnover. But I think it will be a good opportunity for a lot of other guys to step up a little more maybe than they have in the past and you know, excited to see how it all comes together.
On his confidence that the new guys on the blueline will mesh well: There's familiarity with [Shayne Gostisbehere]. I think with [Sean] Walker coming in, he's excited to play the way we play. I think most players like the way we play and they wanna do it because we are up-tempo and it's a fun way to play. There's a learning curve on any team. Anywhere you go, there's going to be different lingo and different way we describe things, but at the end of the day, these guys are good hockey players and if they have a willingness to get it, they will get it.
On his discussions with the prospects: They all want to be here today, but it is a process. Especially for me now that I've been through this for a long time with the prospects, I get that there is a learning curve and that it takes a few years so you don't get too overly excited. We have a lot of good talent and I think we'll see them sooner rather than later, but they won't be the players at the top of their games for a few years yet. So we do have to give them a little time.
On having Cam Abbott at development camp: It's important for him. I really like the fact that he's willing to learn what we're doing and he wants to implement exactly how we play and he likes the style of play that we have. So it's an easy sell to him and I think he's going to do a great job.
On his confidence in the direction of the organization: We definitely lost some real important people and not just hockey players. [Don Waddell] was just a great guy to have around for all of his and he was a good people person and that's what this sport is. It's not just X's and O's. I mean it is, but it's also about people. When you lose good ones, you want to make sure you bring in someone that's good and you just mentioned Doug [Warf] and we know him because he's been a Hurricane before and bringing him in is just a great move by the organization. Quality people and that's what we have to have around here.
On losing players that had been a part of the team for so long: It was hard for me, I'll be honest. And so it was just a natural conversation with a college coach who goes through it all the time. You get attached to whoever you're coaching and especially when we've had them longer than four years. So it was hard. It was hard, I'll be honest. It was hard to watch guys walk out of here. I understand it. I mean, it's a business and they have to do what they have to do. But then it's also exciting because you get a whole new group of guys coming in and maybe some of these new guys do crack the lineup and you do get to work with them and watch them grow. That's just the evolution of it.
On his conversations with the players that left: I had a lot of tough calls this summer. I hadn't really had too many of those. I mean, it's happened. We've lost some guys to free agency and we had good players and teams will pay them and we can't pay everybody and sometimes that's just how it goes unfortunately. So yeah that was a tough call. Loved those guys and wish them the best. Like I said, just excited now for the new guys coming that are excited to be here and get their game going.
On Eric Tulsky: Familiarity is good and I love that we're giving our guys opportunities. Again, he's earned it from what I've seen so far from free agency and the draft. That's the most busy time that you're going to have and he's certainly working his butt off and obviously it's a tough job at this time of year and he's done a great job so far. So I think he'll be fine.
On his relationship with Tulsky: I think he's been real smart about it. He wants to get up to speed on how things work and you have to ask people who are in the fight and that's how he learns too. I think it's been a real great relationship. He had been here a long time, but there really wasn't a lot of communication because there just didn't need to be and now I feel there is and we spend more time in this last month together than we had for 10 years. I think it's going to be a real good relationship.
