Carolina Hurricanes

As a summer of surprises around the NHL rolls on, the Carolina Hurricanes have begun to quietly fill out their roster.

All of the Hurricanes' restricted free agents heading into the offseason have been signed. In addition, 15 players have been inked to one-way contracts for the upcoming season. However, with nearly $12 million left in cap space, Carolina has plenty of room to fill the remaining holes in their depth chart.

Despite a period of silence surrounding the Carolina Hurricanes over the past week since they signed Joe Corvo , several minor signings have began to fill out the depth chart for the 'Canes new minor league affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.

Realizing that he would have a greatly diminished role if he continued playing for the Carolina Hurricanes next season, Rod Brind'Amour decided to retire.  I am sure he could have asked GM Jim Rutherford for release from his contract and moved on to another team seeking veteran leadership, but Brind'Amour decided to retire as a Hurricane.

Brind'Amour was always a team first guy and that dedication will be rewarded on February 18 when the Hurricanes raise his No. 17 to the rafters.  

Joe Corvo is returning to Raleigh.

After being traded to Washington at the 2010 Trade Deadline in a deal that sent a 2011 second rounder (eventually traded to Philadelphia for Jonathan Matsumoto), prospect Oskar Osala (in the AHL), and defenseman Brian Pothier (now a free agent) to Carolina, Corvo is once again coming back to a place where he just might have prospered the most.

The Carolina Hurricanes are a roller coaster ride of a team. One year they surprise the hockey world and make it deep into the playoffs, and have even won a Stanley Cup. Then the next year they can't even make the playoffs or find themselves going home early.

Certainly the Canes would like to stabilize this trend, and settle into a team that competes year round, ever year.

The Hurricanes have unloaded some players this past season, and would look to fill the gaps through the draft.

We knew that the 2010 NHL Entry Draft was going to be a busy one for the Carolina Hurricanes, who held a league-high 11 draft picks going in.

And, when it was all said and done, through picks and trades and hours of negotiating, the Hurricanes can come away from Los Angeles with high hopes for the future.

General Manager Jim Rutherford had a busy weekend, as the Hurricanes were the seventh team up in the first round Friday night and then continued to have selections all through Saturday as well.

A member of Iowa football's extended family was drafted in the 2010 NHL draft over the weekend.

Mark Alt, son of former Iowa Hawkeyes and Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman John Alt, was drafted with the No. 53 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. 

The younger Alt passed on a football scholarship at the University of Iowa to instead lace up his skates for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers and try his luck in the NHL. Pro scouts had him labeled as the 37th best North American skater prospect in the draft. 

Things change in the NHL after you win a Conference Championship. This will not be any different for the Flyers entering 2010-2011.

Here are five key games that both Philadelphia fans and the players will be getting pumped up for this season.

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Well over three months before the first puck drops to start the 2010-2011 NHL Season, the National Hockey League has already released the schedule.

After a disappointing season for any hockey team, the next offseason usually includes a complete roster assessment, a youth movement, and a strong emphasis on putting together an excellent draft class.