Introducing Walt Ruff, Team Reporter for the Carolina Hurricanes

Raleigh, NC -Hi everyone! How are y'all?
My name is Walt Ruff and I'm the new Editorial Content Producer & Team Reporter for the Carolina Hurricanes.

First things first, what an honor it is to hold this position. I understand greatly that there is a lot of responsibility that comes with this role, serving as a voice for the team in this capacity. I'll touch more later on my goals and aspirations, but I'm so elated to be somebody who the fan base can come to for information. The passion for this club is now well-known around the hockey world and one of the most thrilling parts is that it feels as if that passion is only growing more and more.
As excited as I am to get going, I'd be remiss if I didn't immediately pay respect to Michael Smith, who did a tremendous job in this role for many seasons. Thankfully I've had the pleasure of meeting Michael already and admittedly it is a bit daunting being tasked with upholding his level of work. However, that's what I'll be striving for, because it's very clear that it's deserved by you, the fans.

Who Am I?

When Hurricanes Senior Director of Marketing Dan LaTorraca first approached me about how we wanted to "introduce" my hiring to the fans, we kicked around a couple ideas - ultimately landing on me writing this piece. I made it clear to Dan (and Michael) that I didn't want this to come off as just someone who wanted to write a story about themselves, because that does make me feel mildly uncomfortable and isn't what I stand for. By no means will I ever view myself as more important than the stories I'll be reporting on or writing, in fact, quite opposite.
What pulled me toward writing this though is to showcase a bit of personality, something that this franchise has embraced over the past several seasons and become loved because of it. So, here we go.
I was born and raised in the small town of Alburtis, Pennsylvania, approximately an hour north of Philadelphia. My hockey fandom began at a young age and in high school I knew I would love to work in the sports media of some capacity.
Fast forward a couple years and following degrees from Northampton Community College and Temple University, the journey in hockey began.

How'd I Get Here?

Thanks to a blind email I landed an internship-turned-job with the Lone Star Brahmas of the North American Hockey League. After just one season I was headed to the Canes' current ECHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, where I also spent just one year. Working my way up the ladder in communications roles, the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League were next for three seasons. Thankfully I was able to enjoy Arizona from 2017-2020 before the pandemic ultimately brought my time there to a close. After being out of the game for a few months I was able to get back on my feet in March, assisting the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League for their abbreviated 2020-21 season. Then, a few weeks ago, I was offered the opportunity to come to North Carolina. After six years of working in junior hockey and the minors, the dream had come true.
Now we're going to make the most of it.

What Will I Bring In This Role?

As mentioned prior, it's clear that Carolina Hurricanes fans LOVE their team. I've felt it even from the various parts of the country that I've been in over the last decade, some of which are VERY geographically far from Raleigh. From the storm surges to the Svech lacrosse goals, the enamoring David Ayres story and the incredible integration of "Raise Up" by Petey Pablo, there were numerous instances and moments that captivated the attention of many. Now, I want to help amplify how great those moments, this team and this organization are.
I plan to be the pulse of the club, just as Michael was, giving information from morning skates, practices, and of course, games. There will be more though, again, as we get to shed some shine to the unique individuals that bring you to come to PNC Arena, watch on Bally Sports South, and/or follow along on the team's incredible social pages (Bonjour Montréalais).
How will I know exactly what you want, you may ask? Simply put, I don't, and that's where I'll rely on you. Communication is a two-way street, so I'm incredibly eager to learn about what you hope to see. Twitter seems to be the place where that sort of dialogue takes place, so I look forward to hearing from you there (

). However, I understand that there are a great deal of folks who are not on the Twittersphere, so for those folks, my email is also open to you at
[email protected]
.
In addition to the writing element for
Hurricanes.com
, I look forward to taking advantage of all the avenues that will be afforded over the next bit of time, be it audio, video or any other form of medium, I'm hungry to be a part of it all.
It's my goal to be a resource that can make you further engrained in being a Caniac. If I can make you feel more interested or more involved in your Hurricanes following, I'm happy.
So with that being said, time to try and make y'all proud.
Let's Go Canes.
Walt