Amid all the rumours and speculation about what's next for Rod Brind'Amour and the Carolina Hurricanes, the head coach has publicly expressed his interest in staying with the team.
Brind'Amour told reporters Thursday that he had conversations with general manager Don Wadell the past couple of days and expressed no concern about getting a deal done.
During an appearance on ESPN's The Point on Wednesday, Brind'Amour stated, "Everybody knows this is where I want to be. I think everyone knows me to be reasonable and fair. When two parties — listen, on any kind of a deal — if they want it to work out, it’s going to work out."
The 53-year-old coach's comments follow an interview published Wednesday by The Athletic in which Hurricanes president and general manager Waddell shared his belief that Brind'Amour will remain with the team past this season.
"We're going to get it done," Waddell said. "I'm not worried about it. He wants to be a Hurricane for life."
Meanwhile, Luke DeCock of the Charlotte Observer reported on Wednesday that sources close to the coach believe Brind'Amour has become unsure about his future in Carolina. This is on top of reports that several other NHL teams with coaching vacancies could be interested if negotiations to retain him reach the off-season.
When asked if the rumours create more urgency to get Brind'Amour re-signed, Waddell told The Athletic, "If I reacted to everything the media said and did, I wouldn’t be able to run a team. Rod and I talked today. I don’t ever bother him on game days, and he doesn’t want to be ever bothered on game days. He wants to try to win the hockey game. But we talked today, and I think we’re in a good place and we’ll get it done.”
The Hurricanes beat the New York Islanders in Game 5 of their first-round series on Tuesday, and now await the start of Round 2, when they will face off against the New York Rangers.
Brind'Amour has been the head coach of the Hurricanes since the 2018-19 season and has led the squad to playoff appearances each year, including three divisional titles.
He signed a three-year contract extension in June of 2021 and was given the Jack Adams Award as the league's top head coach that same day.
In addition to his Jack Adams Award, Brind'Amour amassed numerous accolades during his tenure as a player, including two Frank J. Selke trophies and a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006 — the organization's only championship. He played for the team for 10 seasons between 1999 and 2010.
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