Hurricanes’ Rod Brind’Amour again bypassed by Hockey Hall of Fame
Rod Brind’Amour, Hockey Hall of Famer?
Not this year. Brind’Amour has been passed over, again.
The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto announced the class of 2020 on Wednesday and many believed Brind’Amour, in his eighth year of eligibility, could be elected as a player, given his 20-year career numbers and Stanley Cup championship with the Carolina Hurricanes.
But the class had six members: Jarome Iginla, Marian Hossa, Doug Wilson, Kevin Lowe and Kim St. Pierre as players, and Ken Holland as a builder.
Brind’Amour, 49, helped the Hurricanes win a Stanley Cup as their captain in 2006 and wants to lead them to another Cup as their head coach. As a player, the center was relentlessly effective in two-way play. The statistical numbers were there but he also had all the intangibles of a being a leader and role model.
“He played at such a high level for such a long time and understood both ends of the ice probably better than anybody,” Matt Cullen, a forward on the 2006 Stanley Cup champions, said in a 2019 interview with the N&O.
Brind’Amour , 49, twice was awarded the Selke Trophy, given annually to the best defensive forward in the NHL. The center, whose No. 17 jersey was retired by the Hurricanes, played 1,484 regular-season games, finishing his career with 1,184 points (452 goals, 732 assists).
Brind’Amour has been named to the Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. But the Hockey Hall of Fame will have to wait.
This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 4:58 PM.
