When the Charlotte Checkers open the AHL Eastern Conference finals Thursday at home, it represents the deepest a Carolina Hurricanes farm team has gone in the playoffs since 1997, when the Springfield Falcons made it to this point in the AHL playoffs.

The Falcons -- coached by Kevin McCarthy -- lost to the Hershey Bears, who went on to win the Calder Cup. Three times since, the Hurricanes’ minor-league affiliate has won one playoff round, but this year’s Checkers are the first to win two.

Former Hurricanes defenseman (and Team Alberta starting pitcher) Mike Commodore will take batting practice with the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday, his current team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, announced today.

He'll also throw out the first pitch, a duty he once also performed for the Durham Bulls.

Erik Cole’s impending return to the RBC Center with the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday should mark one of the few times Carolina Hurricanes fans have had a real chance to salute one of their departed favorites.

Ron Francis, Arturs Irbe and Glen Wesley, just to name a few, were traded elsewhere but never played against the Hurricanes in Raleigh. A few returned to abuse — Keith Primeau tops that list — and a few to acclaim, like Matt Cullen and Aaron Ward when they returned with the New York Rangers less than five months after winning the Stanley Cup with the Canes.

Put it all together, and you get Tuesday’s Top Five: The top five Hurricanes homecomings.