Carolina Hurricanes team Calvin de Haan returned to is ‘more mature,’ defenseman says
.JPG "Carolina Hurricanes’ Calvin de Haan (44) looks to move the puck against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)")
Calvin de Haan was a member of the Carolina Hurricanes’ playoff team in 2018-19, forever the “bunch of jerks,” before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Returning to the Canes this season, the defenseman said he quickly noticed one change.
“A lot more facial hair,” de Haan said, grinning, last week.
De Haan nodded his head toward Andrei Svechnikov across the Canes’ locker room at PNC Arena.
“He was 18 then,” he said.
And now?
“He’s a man, for sure.”
De Haan glanced around the room — at Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, all now seasoned pros with four years of playoff experience with the Canes. Aho, Teravainen and Svechnikov still have work to do on the “facial hair” thing, but Slavin and Pesce have no problem.
“Everyone is a little more mature now,” de Haan told The News & Observer. “That experience goes a long way for those guys who were four years younger at that time. I think it’s going to be a very competitive year in the league and we’ll be a very competitive team.
“There’s a lot of talent on this team. Everyone’s fast here, too. That’s another thing I noticed. Everyone is good on their feet. Management has done a good job of building a competitive team.”
The Hurricanes, the Metropolitan Division champions last season, are off to a 3-0-0 start after their win Monday over the Seattle Kraken. After opening at home last week against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Canes went West for their next five games.
After wins at San Jose and Seattle, beating the Sharks in a close game and spanking the Kraken 5-1, the Hurricanes will be in Edmonton on Thursday to face the Oilers (1-2-0).
Nearly all the metrics look good for the Canes, who have outshot their three opponents 112-74 while outchancing them 101-63 (44-17 on “high-danger” scoring chances), according to Naturalstattrick.com. The line of center Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Svechnikov and Necas has produced five goals and 12 points, and Aho’s line with Teravainen and Seth Jarvis has a 23-10 edge in scoring chances when on the ice at 5-on-5.
Goaltenders Frederik Andersen, who started two of the games, and Antti Raanta have allowed one goal in each of their games, a combination of good work in the crease and defensively.
“The first three games it has been a solid effort from top to bottom, and that’s what you’ve got to have,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Wednesday in Edmonton.
Brind’Amour was in his first year as head coach in 2018-19, guiding the Canes to the Eastern Conference finals. Although he had been an assistant coach, being the man in charge was all new for him that season.
De Haan, 31, said he hasn’t noticed much of a change in Brind’Amour or his coaching methods four years later, saying, “Every time Roddy speaks, guys really open their ears and eyes. He’s just a natural leader. That’s all you can ask for in a coach.
“I remember when I was here four years ago I’d run through a wall for the guy. I think he’d do that for any of his players, too, and I think that still shows, for sure. The guys love playing for him.”
De Haan signed a four-year deal with Carolina in 2018 but was traded after his first season, in part because of the Canes’ need to free up cap space for a potential offer sheet to Aho in free agency.
The offer sheet to Aho, from the Montreal Canadiens, did come that July. The Canes matched and Aho stayed. But de Haan was gone, playing the past three years on the Chicago blue line for the Blackhawks.
A free agent after the season, de Haan decided his best option was to sign a professional tryout contract (PTO) with the Hurricanes. The plan: Go back to Raleigh, try to win a spot in training camp and a contract with his former team.
He did that, earning a one-year, $850,000 deal. On opening night, he was in the lineup.
“I played against these guys the past three years and it’s not a fun team to play against,” de Haan said. “Now I can be on the other side of things again.”
Hurricanes vs. Oilers game and TV info
Who: Carolina Hurricanes (3-0-0) at Edmonton Oilers (1-2-0)
Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta
When: Thursday, 9 p.m. (EST)
TV: Bally Sports Southeast
Stream: Bally Sports+
This story was originally published October 20, 2022 at 7:10 AM.
