NHL Players List Brind’Amour As Ideal Coach;
How Did Hurricanes’ Legendary Leader Respond?

In a poll of more than 100 active National Hockey League players published recently by The Athletic, the Carolina Hurricanes were in the headlines for two main reasons.

One was the Hurricanes’ universally respected head coach, Rod Brind’Amour. The other was the franchise’s overwhelmingly disliked visiting-team locker room at their home arena, which is now called the Lenovo Center.

Especially with the poll’s 111 responding players granted anonymity for all of their answers, there was little reason to question the candor of their responses.

Asked what other NHL head coach (besides their own) they would like to play for, the players made Brind’Amour one of the top three answers:

23.6% — Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning
13.2% — Paul Maurice, Florida Panthers
8.5% — Rod Brind’Amour, Carolina Hurricanes

Brind’Amour, 54, now in his seventh season as Carolina’s head coach, has led the Hurricanes to six (soon to be seven) consecutive playoff appearances. Most impressively, that streak has come in the immediate aftermath of the franchise’s nine-year playoff drought, which was among the longest in NHL history.

The players who gave Brind’Amour as their answer typically mentioned some combination of his communication/leadership styles and/or the Hurricanes’ work ethic and winning ways during his tenure.

“I’ve heard he rewards players that are committed and work hard,” one player said. “I think that would fit my traits and we could build a good relationship. He’s someone you want to play for, and he’s also had good success in Carolina. They’ve had good runs but have just come up short. Every year they’ve been there as one of the final teams.”

“Seems like a very straightforward coach,” another player said. “No matter what kind of team they have, or how it looks on paper, they’re always a fast, hard-to-play team.”

The players also were asked which NHL head coach they would least like to play for. Of the 93 players who answered that question, only two players mentioned Brind’Amour, and one of those replies seemed to be in jest.

“Just because he’s way more in shape than I am,” the player said, “so he’d be intimidating.”

So, did Brind’Amour ever see or hear about the The Athletic poll, and his prominent place in so many players’ responses?

“Oh, yeah,” Brind’Amour said, laughing. “I thought you were going to go the other way (and ask about the locker room).”

So was his place among the top three coaches meaningful to him?

“Not really,” he said, laughing. “The players poll? You know, whatever. Guys, they think they … that’s what they hear, right? Because you said it was voted by guys who are not (on) your team.”

Isn’t that still a good sign, though?

“You want that,” Brind’Amour said. “You definitely want that, but … whatever. Those two guys (Cooper and Maurice) have won Stanley Cups, so that’s the easy one. I haven’t yet, as a coach, so I guess that’s good that I can be still considered there.

“Everybody wants to play for a winner, right? Because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s about.”

This season, almost three-quarters of the way through the NHL’s 82-game schedule, the Hurricanes (33-20-4) have one of the best records in the Eastern Conference. They are in second place in the Metropolitan Division, which puts them in excellent position for their seventh straight playoff appearance under Brind’Amour.

NOTE: For another lengthy, “getting-to-know-you” conversation (from last season) between Brind’Amour and Glenn, who have done dozens of interviews together over the past 25 years, please click HERE. The video of Brind’Amour’s most recent visit with Glenn is below.