Go Time: Canes Kick Off First Day Of On-Ice Training Camp Sessions

RALEIGH, N.C. - Summer may not officially end until Sunday, but for the Carolina Hurricanes and their fans, the seasonal calendar turned to read "hockey" today.

Coinciding with a special day for the organization as the building was officially renamed Lenovo Center, players took to the ice for the first time together.

Many have been in town for weeks, taking part in optional skates together at Invisalign Arena, but today 46 players worked in two groups to get things started.

"Team C1"

Featuring five new players (William Carrier, Tyson Jost, Eric Robinson, Jack Roslovic, and Sean Walker) and two returning to the organization (Shayne Gostisbehere and Joakim Ryan), the more veteran unit took to the ice to begin the day.

With many eager to see where the new puzzle pieces fit in, here's how the cast of 21 skaters looked -

Svechnikov - Aho - Jarvis

Roslovic - Kotkaniemi - Necas

Martinook - Staal - Carrier

Lemieux - Drury - Robinson - Jost

Slavin - Burns

Orlov - Chatfield

Gostisbehere - Walker

Smith - Ryan

With Frederik Andersen in one net and Pyotr Kochetkov defending the other, the group worked together for about an hour, culminating with the traditional "bag skate" to end the first day of on-ice work.

As for the special teams segment of practice, here's how the power play units looked:

PP1: Aho, Jarvis, Necas, and Svechnikov with Gostisbehere

PP2: Drury, Kotkaniemi, and Roslovic with Burns and Orlov

"Team C2"

While the first group largely includes players who will be featured on October 11's opening night roster, many eyes on the second group will be focused on the up-and-coming talent.

Including 2023 first round pick Bradly Nadeau, last year's training camp darling Felix Unger Sorum, and Hobey Baker finalist Jackson Blake all working together, there's much to be excited about.

After skating in the Prospects Showcase this past weekend in Nashville, Skyler Brind'Amour, Rod's son, remains working with the team on a professional tryout. Entering his second pro season, he had eight points in 54 games with Charlotte of the American Hockey League (AHL) last season.

Seven of eight players patroling the blue line are draft picks of the organization, showcasing their promising depth at the position.

Lastly, in net, Spencer Martin, clad in an all-new all-black setup, worked across the ice from Yaniv Perets, who will have an opportunity to show what he can do in the AHL after spending his first pro season in the ECHL.

Coach Said It...

Rod Brind'Amour on the group getting back to work...

"They work so hard in the offseason that it's almost like just a regular practice day. You can just start right away. It takes some time for the new guys to understand exactly what's going on, but I felt like it was a real positive [today]."

Brind'Amour on the offseason it was, watching players choose new homes in free agency, and the new pieces that the team did bring in...

"(Watching guys leave was) not good. We put a lot of pride in the people we bring in here. People know that and it's why they like our players. It's just hard. That's the nature of the business. You have a little mourning period and then you move on. You're really excited about what we were able to bring into the group. Every year starts with a really exciting kind of feel because there's an opportunity and there's a lot of expectation. I think everyone just wants to get going."

Brind'Amour on how he reflected this offseason and what he'll try to improve on...

"You do do that every offseason and you try to get better. You try to listen... I think I need to be a better listener and definitely take in a lot of different views. I know what works and when you know what works, you don't want to deviate too much from that. We definitely, obviously want to get to that next level and reach that next height. But like I told guys yesterday (at the team's start of camp meetings), I think the magic really is in the trying to get there. We definitely do that and I appreciate that with this group."

What's Next?

The two groups are right back at it on Friday, skating at Invisalign Arena.

Working at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., the practice is open to fans. To view the team's full training camp schedule, click here.

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