Practice Report: Get The Legs Going Again

RALEIGH, NC. -All-Star Weekend officially in the rear-view mirror, the Carolina Hurricanes returned to practice Sunday afternoon.
The main agenda of the skate was for the team to get their legs back under them after they spent seven days off the ice, the longest amount of time since the cast reported to Raleigh for training camp in September. Additionally necessary so the team wasn't going into their Monday night matchup in Toronto cold, a group of ten forwards, seven defensemen and one (rostered) goalie laced them up and got to work.

Sandwiched in between a pair of Junior Hurricanes games at Wake Competition Center, the setting allowed for a large group of kids to have their days made by having the ability to get to see some NHLers up close and personal.
Unfortunately two players who they did not get to see were Sebastian Aho and Frederik Andersen, who flew straight from Vegas to Toronto, as they'll utilize the travel day to rest and recover after their efforts in Las Vegas at the league's mid-season event. Equipment Manager Jorge Alves held down the net opposite Antti Raanta for the day.
The Canes other representative at the event, Rod Brind'Amour, however, was on hand, running point despite arriving back in Raleigh at 6 a.m. after a red-eye flight.
Two other notable absences from practice were Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Steven Lorentz. Approximately an hour before the team's 3:45 p.m. skate began, the team announced that Kotkaniemi had tested positive for COVID-19. Although players are only being tested on a "for cause" basis after the All-Star break, all were required to provide a single test before re-entering team facilities. The 21-year-old center will now isolate for five days, meaning he will at least miss tomorrow in Toronto and Tuesday in Ottawa.
Regarding Lorentz, Rod Brind'Amour said post-practice that he was "fine" and there was no cause for concern.
On the other end of things, Teuvo Teravainen, who missed the team's last two games before break due to a lower-body injury suffered on January 21 vs. New York, did participate. However, after practice, Brind'Amour made a point to say that he could be a game-time decision tomorrow, sharing that the week off didn't help his #86 as much as he'd hoped.
Immediately after practice the team was set to fly to Toronto, as the crew gets set to hit four different cities in the next six days. The unit had four games in six days going into the break and will now have the same situation once again, taking on the Maple Leafs (Monday), Senators (Tuesday), Bruins (Thursday) and Wild (Saturday) before returning to Raleigh once again.
They Said It:
Rod Brind'Amour on the team getting back to game action with four games this week:
"We'll be jumping right back into it and I think it's actually the best way. I don't know 100% what to expect tomorrow because the guys have been off for so long and we didn't have a full group today. You don't know what you're going to get, but we've got to knock these games out, so we've got to be ready to go. It's going to be a race to the finish."
Brind'Amourcontinuing on what his experience in Vegas was like:
"Every time you do something like that you, you try and take it as an experience. I met a lot of different people in the hockey world that I normally don't get to, players from other teams and such. It's kind of nice to get to know people for a brief time."
Captain Jordan Staal on what he's looking forward to most in the second half:
"The push. Continuing doing what we've been doing. If we keep playing well, we should be able to keep the rolling into what we want to accomplish this season. It's all a long climb as far as the process and the race, but the guys who we have in our room have been fun to do it along with."
Staalsharing his thoughts on the announcement of the franchise and North Carolina getting a 2023 Stadium Series game:
"It's awesome. It's going to be so cool. The game has grown so much here in Raleigh since I've been here and I've watched it grow. For the city and the team to get the opportunity to get a game like that is going to be so cool. You get to be the focal point of the league. It'll be a cool venue and I know the fans are going to jump on board and have some fun with it. It's a really good thing for both the Hurricanes and Raleigh."
Worth A Click:
Brind'Amour's Metropolitan Division All-Stars Win 2022 Tournament
Aho Matches History, Wins Accuracy Shooting Competition
Canes To Host Stadium Series Game At Carter-Finley In February 2023
Going Outside: Learning More About The Canes Outdoor Game
Hurricanes February Schedule