As is an annual tradition for the Carolina Hurricanes, they will set out on a road trip out west to take on all of western Canada’s NHL teams plus a few others. This annual western conference trip aligns with the North Carolina State Fair that takes place next door to Lenovo Center in Raleigh. The Hurricanes will first travel to St. Louis to take on the Blues. From there they visit the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks. We have seen this trip go many ways in the past. Last season, the Hurricanes went 2-3 on this trip. But with Carolina trying to get all of its new players settled in and adjusted, sometimes a road trip like this is a time to bond and connect. Some of it is natural but some intentionality is needed too to really benefit from this trip.
Carolina Hurricanes Western Road Trip
After wrapping up a battle in Pittsburgh, the Hurricanes head to St. Louis to take on a blues team that has started off with a mixed bag of results. Next they go a bit further to Western Canada to take on the Oilers. Last year’s Stanley Cup runner-up should be a tough outing but has had a slow start to the year.
Then Carolina’s next opponent is the other team from Alberta, the Flames. Unlike Edmonton, expectations are not as high for Calgary. However, they have started the year on fire (no pun intended). From there it’s down to Seattle followed by a short trip back north to Vancouver. It will be five Western Conference games over a span of ten days. This follows a few days on the road taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins first. That is a decent chunk of time on the road but isn’t new for the team this time of year. And as hard as that might seem if handled well, the team can really benefit from this trip.
Chemistry On and Off the Ice
Given that this road trip happens every year for the team, the principles established here essentially remain the same. But with Carolina experiencing such a transitional year as far as players on ice, this year seems like a particularly important one to use this road trip as a time to grow.
One benefit of this type of trip is the fact that the team is all together, on the road, for a period of time, without the other distractions of being at home. They are rooming together in hotels, eating every meal together, and when not on the ice or the bus/plane, generally spending time with each other. Sure, there has to be rest and some alone time for players but generally it is like a camp of some sort. This is where the coaching staff can be really intentional about making sure the team is using this time to grow together.
The new guys like Sean Walker, William Carrier, Eric Robinson, Jack Roslovic and to somewhat of a lesser degree Shayne Gostisbehere could really benefit from this experience by getting to know their teammates early in the season. Not to mention that rookie Jackson Blake should especially benefit from this trip as he learns the ins and outs of travelling in the NHL. In addition, he can just soak in all of the experience around him.
Having this long trip (in fact the longest road trip of the season) so early is nice compared to later in the season when fatigue is higher. Not that teams don’t try to do this, but the key here is that the team, players and coaching staff, all intentionally use this time to get to know each other and develop connections. Sports psychology is huge and the benefits from off the ice will show themselves on the ice.
Pressure Makes Diamonds
The other side of the coin is that travelling far away from home for an extended period can be tough. You don’t have the distractions from home but you have other factors. A different bed every few days, a lot of miles travelled via plane or bus, a game in a different rink for each one, and for players with families back home, time away from loved ones. Every game will feature a different team. Each with their own playing style, strengths and weaknesses. So as much as the isolated focus on hockey is good, it can take a toll too. But this is what develops strength for the rest of the year and beyond.
Sometimes adversity can be the best teacher for teams. Look at the Oilers last season. After an abysmal start, they climbed all the way back to make the Stanley Cup Final. The good for Carolina on this road trip is they get to experience some adversity early on. When lines struggle, they will have to work through it to figure it out. Or the coaching staff has to adjust (but maybe not too quickly). The same can be said for special teams. There will be bumps but how the team handles them is the key.
Carry the Road Trip Experience Back Home
Arguably the biggest takeaway for a long road trip like this is what the team takes away. If the team has a great road trip, you don’t want to fly too high coming home expecting everything to get easier. What you do want is to carry the confidence and habits developed on the trip that made it successful going forward. If the team has a bad road trip, you don’t want to continue those habits. What you do want is to learn from that experience, make adjustments and move forward. Last season we saw the team hold a players-only meeting following a bad road trip through Western Canada in early December. The season took a turn for the best for the team after that point. If this trip ends badly, that is the type of response needed. The response is key.
Every team has tougher and easier stretches during their schedule. The Hurricanes are fortunate that this trip is so early. If they can use it to grow together, learn from adversity and move forward with the lessons learned along the way, it could turn out to be a huge benefit for the team.
Main Photo Credit: Brett Holmes-Imagn Images
