As Nikolaj Ehlers scored the empty-netter in Game 6 to secure the Carolina Hurricanes their second Stanley Cup, few had a better view of the ensuing euphoria than assistant coach Jeff Daniels. Eight years of playoff woes, heartbreak and media scrutiny culminated in one minute of pure joy on the Hurricanes’ bench.
In the 68 seconds before the final buzzer, the team could finally breathe.
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“I was fortunate enough to win back in 2006, so I knew what it was like,” Daniels said. “For me, it was about the group; to see these guys who put all the blood, sweat, and tears into it is what I was most excited about.”
But it was far from a straight shot to contention for the Hurricanes. Seven seasons into head coach Rod Brind’Amour‘s tenure as head coach, Carolina bowed out in the conference finals on three occasions, winning only one game in the third round over that span.
While media pundits wrote off the Hurricanes’ core, the locker room never faltered.
“I think you have to go through some disappointment and realize the sacrifice it takes from everyone,” Daniels said. “We lost Florida a couple of times there, and they went on to win. You have to understand the sacrifice and the commitment that it takes from the whole team to win it all.”
The pain of losing appeared to be paying off early, with the Hurricanes sweeping the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers in the first two rounds and losing only a single game to the Montreal Canadiens in round three.
Carolina’s first taste of adversity didn’t come until Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Heading into the third period down 4-0, a stretch Daniels said was likely their worst of the season, the Hurricanes pulled off a miraculous four-goal comeback, the first in the Stanley Cup Final since 1982.
Despite clawing their way back into the game, the Hurricanes left Sin City the same way most people do — down. The 5-4 double overtime loss put them in a 2-1 hole in the series.
Just as the previous playoff heartbreaks did, Daniels believes this loss fueled a fire in the locker room.
“That just shows there’s no quit in this team,” he said. “The next few games after that, we knew we couldn’t take a period off; we couldn’t take a shift off.”
Carolina went on to win the next three games, only trailing once over that span. The biggest X factor was perhaps goaltender Brandon Bussi, who entered the series after Frederik Andersen was pulled in Game 3.
Bussi was far from a household name at that point. The 28-year-old was in his first NHL season after spending most of his career in the American Hockey League.
Throwing a rookie who hadn’t played in months into the middle of a Stanley Cup Final was a choice questioned by some — but those people likely hadn’t watched this particular rookie.
“Like any player, you just want a chance, and we were in a situation where we needed a goalie, and he ran with it,” Daniels said on Bussi. “We had a ton of trust in him, and Bus was ready when his name was called.”
The unexpected heroes kept coming for Carolina, proving to be one of the deepest teams in the salary cap era. Captain Jordan Staal became the oldest Conn Smythe Trophy winner in NHL history at age 37, despite entering the series with only two goals and three assists.
Daniels described Staal as a “man on a mission” against the Vegas Golden Knights, becoming the first player to score in the first five games of a Stanley Cup Final since Jean Béliveau in 1956.
While he exploded offensively, it’s Staal’s defense that Daniels believes goes unnoticed by the casual fan.
“He gets the toughest matchup every night, especially at home; he’s just so hard to play against,” Daniels said. “We’ve seen him do this for eight-plus years, so it was great to see him get recognized on the national stage like that.”
While Eric Tulsky was only made general manager two seasons ago, few left their fingerprints on the championship as much as the former scientist.
Last offseason, Tulsky transformed Carolina’s depth, adding K’Andre Miller via trade and signing Ehlers in free agency. Miller was a particularly crucial addition, serving as the team’s No. 1 defenseman during the playoffs.
“He talked to Brind’Amour quite a bit; he had a vision for how he wanted the team built,” Daniels said. “He has a good pulse in the league. He understands what we might need and he tries the best he can to fill those holes.”
The formation of the Jackson Blake, Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall line also played a crucial role in Carolina’s Cup run. The three forwards all finished in the top four of team scoring throughout the playoffs.
As with every other franchise over the last decade, the Hurricanes have seen a litany of roster changes en route to becoming a true contender. Seemingly, the one constant throughout Carolina’s evolution has been Brind’Amour.
Brind’Amour captained the organization to its first Stanley Cup in 2006 and became an assistant coach after retiring in 2011. In 2018, he was named head coach, and the team has been on an upward trajectory since.
After a 20-season NHL career, it’s no surprise that Brind’Amour quickly garnered the respect of his players.
“You’re not going to meet a better person; he makes sure everyone from the staff to the players is taken care of,” Daniels said. “The guys also really believe in his system and the hard work it takes.”
After a summer that saw the Eastern Conference grow more competitive, Daniels knows the road to repeating as Stanley Cup champions will be grueling, but he reminds the hockey world of a lesson it should have learned years ago.
“Don’t count us out.”
