Mike Vellucci

Offseason decisions will come sooner for Hurricanes

May 29, 2019 Cory Lavalette

RALEIGH — The offseason will be much shorter than the Carolina Hurricanes have become accustomed to this summer, thanks to their run to the Eastern Conference Final. There’s also less work to be done than […]

With injuries mounting, Hurricanes look to Charlotte

May 1, 2019 Cory Lavalette

RALEIGH — If you haven’t watched the Carolina Hurricanes for a while, you might be wondering where some of the familiar names have gone. Calvin de Haan. Micheal Ferland. Andrei Svechnikov. Jordan Martinook. Saku Maenalanen. […]

Category 5: Notes from the Carolina Hurricanes, Jan. 18

January 18, 2019 Cory Lavalette

I thought I would try something new and decided on this new notes package, Category 5. In it, you will find a handful of notes, quotes, numbers and facts on the Carolina Hurricanes. I’ll try […]

Look Ahead — 2019 Coach of the Year: Checkers’ Vellucci grooms players for NHL, keeps winning games

January 2, 2019 Cory Lavalette

With Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams roaming the college basketball sidelines on Tobacco Road, North Carolina is never devoid of coaching star power. While either could be cutting down the nets in Minneapolis in early […]

Checkers on the wrong end of longest game in AHL history

May 10, 2018 Cory Lavalette

The Charlotte Checkers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms were knotted at 1-1 through 60 minutes of Game 4 of their second-round AHL Calder Cup Playoffs game Wednesday at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte. Hockey is known for […]

Q&A with Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon, Part 1

March 14, 2018 Cory Lavalette

A week ago, new Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon reassigned general manager Ron Francis to the position of president of hockey operations and promised a “full search” for his replacement. In Part 1 of a […]

Hurricanes’ GM search could go in several directions

March 14, 2018 Cory Lavalette

RALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes new majority owner, Tom Dundon, made his first big move last week, announcing that Ron Francis will be moved to president of hockey operations and the team would hire a […]

It’s on Francis to shake up the Hurricanes

November 8, 2017 Cory Lavalette

RALEIGH — Every NHL team goes through peaks and valleys. The best teams of the last decade — the Penguins, Blackhawks and Kings — all bottomed out and were rewarded with high draft picks that […]