RALEIGH, N.C. -To participate in the spirit of the team's 25th Anniversary season, we'll have a few special figures from the team's past helping us out with a few mailbags this year.
To start, forward Jeff O'Neill, who played nine seasons and 673 games with the franchise from 1995-2004.
Now a popular TSN Analyst, "O-Dog" answered a few of your questions.
Mailbag #43: Jeff O'Neill
Your questions, answered by the long-time Hurricane
When you think about your time with the Hurricanes, what's the first memory that comes to mind?
Probably our first playoff appearance in Raleigh. We went through a bit of a grind, kind of a lot of a grind, actually, when we first got down there to North Carolina. We weren't settled in really at the arena and we weren't really settled anywhere. We had a playoff appearance in Greensboro, but the whole driving back and forth thing, different practice rinks, nothing being in stone. To get into the RBC Center, get into the playoffs and hear what the fans were all about after tailgating all day, that was pretty awesome.
Even to this day the fans in that building are regarded as probably the loudest in the league when they get cooking.
How do you summarize the time in Greensboro?
I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that I loved it, because I didn't. When you think of the NHL experience - practice facilities, game rinks, game day morning skates - it wasn't anything like that. The one positive about all of it was that Jimmy Rutherford had a mandate of having good people around the organization, especially players.
We were all living our dreams in the NHL, but the mandate was basically to suck it up, this is what we have to do.
I did kind of feel bad because there were some guys that stuck out the whole Greensboro thing for a few years and then when we got to RBC they either got traded or not re-signed, so they went through all of that for nothing. All of the people did what we could to make the best of it and we didn't complain about it. It was our reality and it was what we had to do at the time.
On a good day or night, how quickly could you get from Greensboro back to Raleigh? - @mcache1
Dude, I got a lot of speeding tickets on I-40. (laughs)
I remember driving home and you would always see somebody pulled over. A teammate or someone with the staff. There was always somebody, without a doubt.
When did it set in that the 2002 team could compete for the cup? That was a magical playoff run. - @vincemags
I don't think anybody thought there was anything special about our team that year because there really wasn't.
Other than Ronnie Francis] and Roddy [Brind'Amour], there really wasn't a whole lot of experience on that team. Bret Hedican was a great veteran, but it all kind of just happened right in front of our eyes. We just enjoyed the ride and ultimately we fell short, but it was a great experience for everybody and everybody in the city. It was just one of those things where we had unexpected heroes and different players rising to the occasion every night. At the end of it, it was just a great experience.
I know that we didn't win it all and I'll never be known as a Stanley Cup Champion, but to have the ability to talk about it all on television from experience is a great thing. I'll never forget that year.
**Ask him about the black eye in Toronto and scoring the OT winner in 2002. What was that moment like? How much could you even see? - [@iTweetThings67
It was just one of those moments. I'm not going to overblow it and turn it into something that it wasn't because we're hockey players and we have to play with injuries. It's just part of the gig.
But it was one of those things where every time you go on a playoff run there's always different moments. And that kind of became my moment, right? I didn't know if I was even going to be able to play. It was an ugly scene. Pete Friesen got some blood out of my eye and I got back in there. It became my moment.
Marek Malik had his moments, Nic Wallin had his moments, the Brind'Amour line had their moments, Ronnie Francis] had his. That's what it takes to go on their run and I guess that was mine.
**When impresses you most about the current iteration of the team? - [@iankennedy2002
It starts from the top and having Rod as the coach. I don't think he's going to put up with any nonsense and that's the way the organization rolls. There's a real work ethic there.
There was a game a few weeks ago where Roddy said, "Every time you go into Tampa you have to be prepared because they're a quality team. They have that pedigree. Every time you go in there you have to be ready."
That's what people say now about Carolina. If you're not ready to play them, they're going to slap you in the face. They're detailed, they work hard and they have good players. That's what people say now about the organization and that's the biggest credit you can get as a team.
Not a member of Twitter? We're always happy to take questions at [email protected] as well!
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