Forslund: First thing Brind’Amour did to change the culture was name Williams the captain



The Carolina Hurricanes were one of the most surprising teams in the NHL this season considering every fan and analyst expected them to finish in the running for the No. 1 overall pick in this summer’s draft.

Not only did they manage to set their highest attendance record since 2014-15, but they also manage to grow their fan base outside Raleigh. A lot of the increase in popularity came from the wins and their Storm Surges, but those wins wouldn’t have been possible if the players didn’t buy into what Rod Brind’Amour was selling as a first year head coach.

On Tuesday, the Hurricanes had their locker clean out and plenty of players had nothing but high praise for Brind’Amour and the way he ran the show this season.



Brind’Amour played a huge role in helping the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup in 2006 as he was the captain of the team, so it’s not surprising that he managed to lead the team to success as their head coach.



"He was just him."



- Jordan Staal on Rod Brind'Amour's success as a first-year head coach pic.twitter.com/AZkZoyT3Un — Carolina Hurricanes (@NHLCanes) May 22, 2019

It’s safe to say this year’s team changed the Hurricanes culture and a lot of that starts with their head coach.

(H/T Twitter/NHLCanes)