The Carolina Hurricanes have scheduled a news conference with veteran center Rod Brind'Amour at the RBC Center today at 2:30 p.m.
TSN is reporting that Brind'Amour will accept a buyout from the team, retire and continue to work for the team in some capacity.
Brind'Amour, 39, and a longtime team leader, has one year left in his playing contract. General manager Jim Rutherford had said that he hoped to have a resolution on Brind'Amour's future before the start of free agency Thursday. Options include buying out his contract for $2 million.
Rutherford won't be on hand. He's out of town on what the team has called unrelated business. But Rutherford will hold a teleconference with the media at 3:30 p.m.
Javier Serna has covered sports for The News & Observer since 2007. He previously covered growth for the North Raleigh News, and sports at The Truth in Elkhart, Ind. E-mail
Comments
Nice Final Chapter for Both!
Wed, 06/30/2010 - 13:16 — mokimanoNobody wanted an ugly parting and divorce...the presser allows both parties to part in good ways on the buy out and still keeps Rod in the Canes org in a non-player role. The cap space does not really have any impact this coming season since the Canes are planning to be at the cap floor...and the buy-out allows the Canes to save about a million dollars and allows a young player like Zak Dalpe to grab a roster spot and some valuable ice time. A win-win for both the Canes and Brindy and I'm sure next season will get to all attend Rod Brind"amour night where the fans can give him a proper send off and send his #17 to the rafters at the RBC Center.
Thanks for the memories!
Wed, 06/30/2010 - 13:02 — jrscanesI think Bob Hope said it best! You have been an inspiration to my son and are one of the reasons he loves this game so much. Thanks so much for everything you've done!
thanks!!!
Wed, 06/30/2010 - 12:06 — PowderedToastManThanks for the hard effort and thanks for leading the team to two Stanley Cups finals and a Cup win!
Can only be a retirement
Wed, 06/30/2010 - 12:05 — floydm11Can only be a retirement announcement. Roddy would not be there if they were buying him out, and not conference is needed at all to say he's going to play out his contract.
I think this is the right move and will help ensure Rod stays an important part of the organization for a long time.
Thanks for all the wonderful memories, Captain!
Thank you Captain Rod!!
Wed, 06/30/2010 - 14:19 — HockeydogWith all due respect to Ronnie Francis, Rod Brind'Amour is the defining Carolina Hurricane. To say the #17 will never grace another Canes sweater is very obvious to say the least. Kids, this man is your role model. Other than his tremendous ability to win face-offs, he really didn't have any weapons like speed, or really great hands. What he had was a great mind for the game, incredible devotion to physical fitness, and amazing intensity on the ice. Many players have done much less in their careers with much more than Brindy.
Now as he enters his next career in the game, he joins a rather elite crew in this organization. Ronnie Francis, Glen Wesley, Tom Barrasso, and introducing Rod Brind'Amour. How many other teams can boast a staff that includes this many Hall of Fame caliber former players? A class group indeed!
Congratulations Mr. Brind'Amour on a stellar career and thank you for all you have done for this franchise. The picture of you hoisting Lord Stanley in Hurricanes red will be forever etched in history.
Sounds like...
Wed, 06/30/2010 - 11:33 — AllenHRoddy's farewell address.
End of an era...
The Most Important Player of this Franchise to date...
Wed, 06/30/2010 - 11:32 — TheReaper49All due respect to Ronnie, but in my opinion, Brind’amour was the MOST important player to this franchise. His leadership bridged the gap between Ronnie and Staal and led us to the Stanley Cup.
His retirement is sad, but necessary and somewhat overdue. It will allow everyone to remember all the good that Brind’amour has done and how he WAS this franchise for so many years. I hate the fact that I’ve been so disgusted and frustrated with him the last season or so. You could tell the guy was trying and that he didn’t think his skills had eroded to the point that they had.
I hope the organization has done right by him financially (not that the 30 some odd million he’s made here was chump change) based on the last year of his deal. And I hope that he is part of this franchise for as long as he wants to be.