Eric Staal was chosen to model the Canes' new-look uniform Tuesday, fitting in that he's the team captain and team's biggest star.

But Staal also walked with a slight limp as he mounted the stage at PNC Arena for the ceremony. It was a reminder that his injured knee will take months to heal, even though Staal said there's "no question" he would be ready for the start of preseason training camp.

Staal suffered a third-degree sprain of the right medial collateral ligament (MCL) last month while playing for Canada in the IIHF World Championships in Stockholm. He took a knee-on-knee hit from defenseman Alex Edler of Sweden, who later was suspended for the remainder of the event.

Staal said Tuesday he believed it was not a clean hit by Edler, who plays for the Vancouver Canucks. He's also thankful there wasn't any major structural damage such as a torn ACL.

While scheduling issues between the Carolina Hurricanes and N.C. State over the use of PNC Arena continue, Canes general manager Jim Rutherford said Tuesday the team has turned in its dates for the 2013-2014 season to the NHL.

The Hurricanes faced a June 1 deadline by the NHL to submit its dates for next season. But N.C. State, which holds priority on dates in the arena that it shares with the hockey team, has locked up many fall dates for men's basketball, saying it needs extra flexibility to met the requests of the ACC and their television partners.

"We did the best we could to schedule our games on time, as the league has requested," Rutherford said. "We'll just have to work through that as we go forward. We'll try to work through this and see if we can make this work for both sides."

The Canes have failed to reach a contract agreement with forward Gregory Hofmann, who will enter the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Hofmann was the Canes' fourth selection and 103rd overall pick in the 2011 draft.

The Canes had until 5 p.m. to sign Hofmann, who is from Switzerland. Hofmann attended Carolina's prospect camp and preseason training camp in 2011.

“We wanted to sign Gregory to a contract, and felt that he could have a future with the Hurricanes on the NHL level,” general manager Jim Rutherford said in a statement. “It is disappointing that we were unable to reach an agreement with his agent to keep him in our organization.”

Carolina’s 2011 sixth-round selection, goalie Matt Mahalak, was also not signed and will re-enter the draft.

The Carolina Hurricanes won't just be playing in a new NHL division next season. They'll also have a new look on the ice.

The Canes are significantly changing up their home and road uniforms for the first time in their 15-year-history in North Carolina. The team will unveil the new uniforms June 4 at PNC Arena.

The team said Thursday that the Hurricanes logo and colors will not change. But the sweaters, pants and socks will have a new design.

The Canes, under the NHL's realignment, will be playing in a new division with the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils and Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Canes have announced they will hold Hurricanes Summerfest from July 16-20 at PNC Arena, incorporating the annual Prospects Development Camp.

There also will be an inaugural ‘Canes Elite Players Camp, where participants will receive instruction directly from Canes coach Kirk Muller and his staff of Rod Brind’Amour, Dave Lewis, John MacLean and Greg Stefan.

The team’s Prospects Development Camp will see most or all of the Hurricanes’ 2013 draft class, other previously-drafted players and select invitees descend on Raleigh for a week of training. The camp’s on-ice sessions will be open to the public, and the week will wrap up with a game and skills competition on Saturday at noon.

Carolina Hurricanes captain Eric Staal has a sprained right knee but the injury will not require surgery, it was determined Saturday.

Staal has a third-degree sprain of the right MCL and his recovery time has been set at three months. It is expected he will be ready for the start of the 2013-2014 season.

Staal suffered a knee-on-knee hit Thursday during Canada's game against Sweden in the IIHF World Championship in Stockholm. Swedish defenseman Alex Edler, who hit Staal, was suspended for the remainder of the event by the IIHF for what its disciplinary panel called a "reckless, dangerous" hit.

Staal returned to Raleigh from Sweden on Friday night and underwent an MRI on Saturday.

Canes goalie Cam Ward suffered a third-degree MCL sprain in March that held him out the rest of the season.

Defenseman Alex Edler of Sweden has been suspended for the remainder of the IIHF World Championship for his knee-on-knee hit Thursday on Eric Staal.

Staal, the captain of the Carolina Hurricanes, was to return to Raleigh on Friday from Stockholm and will have an MRI exam Saturday. The severity of his knee injury then will be determined.

Edler, who plays for the Vancouver Canucks, was given the suspension Friday by the IIHF independent disciplinary panel.

The IIHF, in its release, called Edler's hit on Staal in Thursday's quarterfinal game between Canada and Sweden "reckless, dangerous and ... in disregard to the vulnerability of his opponent."

Edler was given a major penalty for kneeing and a game misconduct. Staal, the Team Canada captain, needed to be helped off the ice.

Canes goalie Cam Ward suffered a third-degree knee sprain -- a tear of the MCL in his left knee -- in early March and was sidelined for the remainder of the season. Defenseman Justin Faulk sustained a second-degree knee sprain and was out nine games.

Carolina Hurricanes captain Eric Staal is being evaluated for an apparent knee injury suffered Thursday in the IIHF World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden.

Staal, who also is serving as Canada's team captain, took a knee-on-knee hit from Alex Edler of Sweden with 4:14 left in the first period. He fell to the ice in pain, clutching his right knee.

Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said Hockey Canada officials called him immediately after Staal left the ice for treatment. Rutherford dd not know the severity of the injury, saying Staal was to have an MRI exam administered by NHL doctors in Stockholm.

"It's unfortunate and hopefully it's not too serious," Rutherford said. "If it is serious, hopefully there will be enough recovery time for him to be ready for next season. We'll just hope for the best."

RALEIGH -- The Amazing Race itself took a month to complete.

The celebration? That may run twice as long.

Bates and Anthony Battaglia have a million dollars to split and countless memories after winning the 22nd edition of CBS's Amazing Race. While the competition ended in the middle of December, the show's finale wasn't shown until Sunday night as the Battaglias hosted a viewing party at Lucky B's, the Glenwood South bar co-owned by Bates Battaglia and Mike Lombardo.

The party was spilling over into Monday when the free-spirited Battaglias, called the "Hockey Brothers" on the show, got together for an interview. Both played pro hockey and Bates Battaglia is a former Carolina Hurricanes forward, but they said it wasn't just their athleticism that was decisive in the Race.

"Yes, we're not just good-looking. We're smart," Bates said. "We're just friendly people but if we have to beat you in a foot race, we'll do it."

Bates Battaglia misses the intense competition that comes with playing professional hockey, so much so that he doesn't even like to attend many Canes games.

"You sit up there watching all the boys playing and you wish you were out there," Battaglia said. "It's tough."

But Battaglia recently found another way to get his competitive juices flowing -- participating on "The Amazing Race." The CBS reality show has its 22nd season finale Sunday night, and Battaglia and his brother, Anthony, are among the final four teams.

Battaglia is sworn to secrecy on the outcome and the million-dollar winners, but the former Canes forward did talk about the month-long experience -- the show was taped from mid-November to mid-December, he said -- in a recent interview.

"It was awesome," he said. "I said to Anthony, 'If we ever get a chance to do it again, I'd do it in a heartbeat.'