A former Cane/Stanley Cup champ on this 2023-24 team

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What's in your wallet? Eric Cole, who's got his name on the Stanley Cup, is joining us here as we get ready for the Hurricanes home opener. So, let me ask you this. The Hurricanes had never been the betting favorites. Even the year they won the Cup, they got to the Stanley Cup Finals in 02, you were part of both of those teams. They were never the favorites going into the season. This team is. I mean, for what it's worth, the betting favorite, the shortest odds on the board. What do you make of that?

Well, as someone who was on the 02 team and on the 06 team, I mean, I think in 06, I don't think anyone had a finishing higher than 10 just in the East alone. So, you know, it's not necessarily something that you in the locker room put too much emphasis on. I think, you know, as players, you just look around the room and you recognize what you have.

And, you know, you believe in it or you don't fit, right? So, you know, and especially with how the group is and with the leadership that they have from the top down, you know, that's all just noise. Like, whatever, you know, that's not going to affect what they do day to day at the rink because, you know, you go in and you put in the work.

I mean, it sets it on the wall, right? Like, you know, win the day, win today, whatever it is. Their mentality is to just keep going, just keep getting better every day.

Eric Cole joins us here on the Adam Gold Shell. Why should they be the favorites? Well, I think that their successes that they've had over the last five, six years, you know, have proven to a lot of people around the league that, you know, they're consistently one of the best teams, you know, in the league, not just, you know, not just in their division, but league wide. And the consistency factor of how well they played and how hard they've worked. And then it's just, I mean, you know, everyone knows that anything can happen in the playoffs. There could be injuries, you run into a hot goaltender, whatever it is. I mean, it's really hard to win in the spring.

That's what makes it so great. So, but, you know, with the hurricanes, they've they've been, you know, very consistent at competing for division titles, winning division titles, competing for the top top seed in the in the conference. And, you know, people look at that and they look at the, you know, the track record, you look at the personnel and it's like, OK, so what, why should we expect this again from this group?

Right. Like, you know, they're they're going to continue to look for guys to continue their, you know, maturation like into the league, such as, you know, like Marty Nages is a great example from last year. But, you know, there's there's other players on this roster that can continue to do that. And Marty, I think, can continue to grow.

So it'll it'll be it'll be interesting to see how it all plays out. But I mean, I think they have a great group. They've got great leadership and I'm excited to see them tonight and get the season started. Eric Cole is joining us here, a Stanley Cup champion here on the Adam Gold Show. Here's the thing.

And I said this a lot yesterday. Back to back Metropolitan Division champions. This is the division they were never supposed to win.

Right. When it was constructed with Pittsburgh and Washington and the Rangers and Philly. And I mean, they were never supposed to win this division. They have won it twice and they won that Pandemic Central with Tampa and Florida the year before. So this team has been building towards this.

It's I think they are justifiably the favorites. You talked about Martin Nages, who took an enormous step forward last year. His play kind of waned at the end. Maybe that was Andrei Spechnikov's absence from the lineup. And in the postseason, the games are more difficult. The ice is harder to get. You have to get to places that you don't normally get to for a guy like Nages and not not specifically to him. But for the team, what is the next step from where they were a year ago for competitive games with Florida, but all losses?

What is the next step that they need to take? Well, you know, I I think that, you know, Mr. Mr. Rutherford used to always try to have this little thing where you've got to. Kind of learn to lose or not so much learn to lose, but yet you have to lose to gain that experience, to gain those experiences and and understand how hard it is and what it takes. And I think, you know, when I look back at 02, then on to 06 and the roster that we had, I you know, I think that it was. Kind of like a little bit of a short learning curve for our group, because we had so many veterans on our team that had been there before and that, you know, you know, kind of like add those had those Stanley Cup final appearances.

But it didn't cash in on it. And I think as as you consistently are in the playoffs and you're consistently there, the conference finals in the cup finals, you just you use your maturity in terms of, you know, gaining all that experience just continues to grow and grow. And I just I think that as a group and you look at, you know, the core, there's a big group of guys that have been here, you know, a long time together. And I think that they need to collectively, you know, be in the room saying like, hey, like, this is it right now. Now is the time for us to get the job done. And I think, you know, I mentioned the leadership and everything and, you know, it starts with Roddy and I just I know that these guys, you know, want to want to perform well and win for their coach.

Eric Cole is joining us here, your former line mate on the BBC line back in 2002. And there was a pretty strong core of players from that year that helped in 2006. And there is a lot of continuity in this group. If you had to look at it and I'm asking you to do that.

If you had to look at it, is there an element that they might be missing? Or do you think right now, barring injury, this is a team that is equipped to go the distance? Well, that's, I mean, that's just that I, for me, I think in, in any NHL season, just because I mean, it is, it's a long year, it's a grind, you have to have to have health, and not only like just health but like that kind of just carries over. You need that organizational depth. If somebody does go down, you need somebody else to step up or come in from, you know, from the minor league team or, you know, whatever it is, a trade. I know, you know, last year I look at last year and, you know, the losses of Patrick Eddie twice, and I mean, that was, I think that a lot of people were, you know, probably surprised at what the hurricane did after having those two losses. But I, I think that that speaks to the organization and how much depth there is within the organization, you know, not just what you see here, you know, with the hurricanes, but what is also going on, you know, kind of below the surface. And I think that, I think that if, if they can have good health this season, and obviously get good goaltending because every team prays for good goaltending, then I, I don't see. With SOTIC-2 for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, you could show off your skin again.

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Call 1-888-SOTYKTU to learn more. I don't see how they're not in the room excited about coming to the rink every day and being able to take on this opportunity that they have in front of them. Final question for Eric Cole. Take me back to your days opening night. Regardless of whether your team is the favorite or not, or among the favorites or not, how does opening night, especially at home, differ from any other game?

Oh, man. New season. It's a chance to go out and prove yourself, not just speaking away from the group or the team side of it. Everybody starts the season with their own expectations or their own inner goal or what they want to accomplish that year in their career. I think that excitement and the atmosphere, especially I'm sure PNC is going to be crazy tonight, as it always is. I can remember, particularly in my first five, six years in the league, opening night was the start of an opportunity to prove myself, prove my worth, and to show not just my teammates that, hey, I'm here, I'm ready, I'm prepared. It was to show management and to prove to yourself, really, what you were capable of.

I always had really fond memories of opening night, and maybe that's just because my first one went really well. The new season is here, and we used to have a bit longer training camps than everything, so by the time the season did actually get here and you had your first regular season game, you were almost relieved because, thank goodness, camp is over. Here we go. It's time to go. It's fun. It's a fun ride. I'm excited for the group.

I'm excited for the organization, especially for our fans. An assist in game one against the Rangers in a win here at PNC Arena, although at that point, I don't really remember what it was called. RBC Center?

No, probably not. I have no idea. What was it called then? Entertainment and Sports. Entertainment and Sports Arena. Ressa, as I channel my inner Chuck Caton. Eric Cole, thank you very much for the time, man. We'll see you at the building tonight. Looking forward to it.