Rod Brind’Amour has Stanley Cup aspirations in first season

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — After he threw out the first pitch at the Wilmington Sharks game, we caught up with new Carolina Hurricanes Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour to talk about the upcoming season.

He says that it has been a busy offseason for Carolina as he adjusts to life as a full-time head coach.

The Canes have been building in Brind’Amour’s image with free agent signings like Dougie Hamilton and Calvin de Haan to bolster their defense.

Brind’Amour said he’s excited for the year and has championship aspirations.

“Well, what you can expect is that we’re going to raise the bar across the board,” Brind’Amour said. “We’re one of 31 teams that has chance to win a Stanley Cup and our expectations is to be that team at the end of the year.”

The Hurricanes open their preseason schedule with a home game against Tampa Bay on September 18.