Hurricanes hold impromptu informal practice

RALEIGH, NC – While NHL training camps will not begin for more than a week, many of the Carolina Hurricanes took to the ice Monday morning in an informal skate at Raleigh Center Ice. Several of the players who participated are expected to be in the opening night roster, including forwards Carl Hagelin and Brandon Saad, and defensemen Duncan Keith and Johnny Boychuk.

"It was good to be out here getting a feel for the guys and get our feet moving," center David Legwand said of the practice. Legwand, who was drafted by the Hurricanes in the 19^th round of the EHE Inaugural Draft, is expected to be relied on as a team leader in the upcoming season.

"I rely a lot on my speed, so it was nice to dust off the cobwebs," noted Hagelin, the only Swede to make an appearance. Forwards Henrik Sedin and Johan Franzen are expected to arrive Wednesday after spending the holidays back in their native homeland of Sweden.

The Canes top selection in the draft, Corey Perry, did not participate in the skate, though he is expected to be fully ready for training camp after narrowly avoiding serious injury in an exhibition game last month.

Winger Raffi Torres had a bit of a different approach to the day. "I enjoyed a few laughs with the guys today. Honestly, though, I just want to get training camp going so I can hit some people." Torres carries a checkered past of many questionable hits into Carolina. "It's not that I'm trying to hurt my teammates or anything. I'd just like to knock some people [around]."

One of the biggest questions of the morning was not who was missing from the rink, but who attended the event. Anthony Stewart, a forward who has been a major disappointment in his professional career, inexplicably attended the event despite not being a member of the Hurricanes. It is common that members of other teams may join friends or former teammates during informal skates. However, Stewart was not among the invited participants.

"I was just kind of getting stretched out and in comes Stewart with a practice jersey on," recalled forward Patrick Eaves. "I just thought I had overlooked him getting picked up by the Canes or something and didn't think much else of it. Then the security guys swarmed the ice and got him off the rink."

Stewart was escorted from the facility without further incident.

It was to the delight of many of the Hurricanes' fans to see some of their favorite players at the unannounced practice. Not everyone was amused, however.

"My figure skating lesson was ruined!" cried 10-year-old Martina Filipova of Cedar Chest. "I was in the middle of my skating session and these brutes came in and kicked me off the rink. I can't believe it."

When asked of the incident, rink manager Cindy Murphy said that the situation had been properly dealt with.

"They gave me an ice cream cone and a chance to train with the Carolina Lightning (a local U10 girls club)," Filipova said. "Who do they think I am? Jenny Wu?"

More informal practices are expected to be held in the next week at Raleigh Center Ice while the team awaits word on who their head coach will be.