Canes Weighing Options, Staying Busy During Pause

The 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs were supposed to begin on Wednesday, April 8.

That was, of course, until the COVID-19 pandemic brought hockey, sports and the world at large to a screeching halt in mid-March.

It is the joint hope and ultimate goal of the National Hockey League and its Players' Association to offer some semblance of a conclusion to the 2019-20 season - but who that might involve, what that might look like, when that might happen, where that might happen and how that might be pulled off all remain complicated question marks.

The Carolina Hurricanes, who had accumulated a 38-25-5 record and 81 points through 68 games when the NHL paused the regular season, want to be ready for whatever, whenever, wherever.

"The importance is to finish the season in some form or fashion," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said on a video conference call on Thursday. "I'd like to see some sort of finish to the year, whether we have regular season games or not, and someone win the Stanley Cup this year."

The critical factor affecting every potential scenario is the when of it all - and it's also the factor impossible to accurately project at the moment.

"We don't have any timetable," President and General Manager Don Waddell said on Thursday's video conference call. "We're all living in a world right now where nobody can predict what's going to happen not only in a month from now, but even maybe longer than that. But, I think there's a lot of hope we can finish the regular season before we get into the playoffs."

For a number of reasons - playoff positioning, draft positioning, conditioning and revenue, just to name a few - the prevailing sentiment around the league seems to favor some sort of regular season conclusion. It makes sense theoretically, at least.

But, will it be practical? How would scheduling work? Will games have to be staged in neutral site locations, those that aren't as densely populated or boast comparably low infection rates? Will fans be allowed in buildings?

Waddell said the Canes have formed an internal task force to tackle all scenarios.

"We have multiple plans," he said. "Anything that's thrown our way, we'll be able to handle and adjust to."

If the regular season can't be salvaged, though, the Canes find themselves in a desirable position, occupying the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

"I'd be happy just to start the playoffs," Brind'Amour laughed.

And, having won three games in a row, the team seemed to be hitting a stride when the pause button was pressed.

"I felt like the group was really playing well, maybe even our best. All the things seemed to be firing really well that last week," Brind'Amour said. "It was looking pretty good. The acquisitions we made at the deadline were huge additions, and they were starting to feel comfortable. You could see they were starting to fit in. Things were looking positive. I liked where our team was, for sure."

It's a guessing game for who knows how long, but the Canes are doing their best to remain busy amidst the uncertainty.

"We're treating this as our offseason," Waddell said. "We figure if and when we come back, there will be a short window before the 2020-21 season."

Waddell said the team has held conference calls with amateur scouts, noting a draft will be held at some point in time. Pro scouts have also been involved in conversations about player movement options whenever free agency opens. Brind'Amour remains in regular communication with the coaching staff to ensure they're ready for anything, too.

"We have to have some sort of idea so we're not unprepared when the time comes," he said.

And then there are the players, who are in just as much a state of limbo as everyone else. It's difficult to develop a training regimen with no set end date, such as training camp, penciled in on the calendar, but Brind'Amour and his staff want to ensure the players are taking care of themselves and looking after their physical fitness as best they can.

Strength and conditioning coach Bill Burniston, who Brind'Amour called "the best strength coach in the world," has been heavily involved in developing individualized fitness plans for the players. Some remained in Raleigh. Others are abroad. Some have access to weights and other equipment. Others are more limited in what's available to them.

"That was probably our No. 1 concern as far as just, how do you keep these guys in shape?" Brind'Amour said. "We're almost treating this like our offseason in how we go about it. [Burniston] is in direct communication daily, really, with our guys. He hands out workouts. He knows their situations."

Brind'Amour, of course, maintains a workout regimen, too.

"I'm big on routines. I'm lucky," he said. "I have a little gym in my house here, so that's how I start my day."

"It makes PNC Arena's weight room look very tiny, because we all know how Rod trains," Waddell joked.

Whenever hockey resumes, the Canes will have a full complement of healthy bodies, too. That includes Dougie Hamilton, who has been medically cleared by doctors to resume skating after having surgery to repair a fractured fibula in his left leg.

"His rehab has gone very well. He's done everything he's needed to do," Waddell said. "He's ready to go. It's just a matter of time before we put him on the ice and move forward from there. He'll be ready to play when we drop the puck."

The main message Brind'Amour and his staff left with the players - in addition to staying safe, taking care of families and staying home - is to use this time to get better at something.

For Brind'Amour, that means "trying to find different avenues to continue to learn the game and be better" as a head coach. He's sifted through old game tape and also leaned on counterparts from around the league, a group of which video chats three times a week.

"It's been actually pretty good for me just hearing from other coaches about how they're dealing with this and really talking hockey, diving right into how they approach anything," he said. "It's a different topic every day we meet. That's been interesting."

Eventually, we'll achieve some sense of normalcy again. Sports will be back. Hockey will be back. The Canes will be back. Until then, everyone waits and wonders when that might be and what it might look like.

It's all guesswork and speculation until the puck drops.

"I'm as anxious as everyone else to get started and get back," Brind'Amour said.