There was a positive twist to the Canes' practice Thursday: for the first time since Oct. 3, the entire team was on the ice.

Forward Erik Cole, who suffered a leg fracture in the Boston game Oct. 3, wore a red jersey, went through all the drills and could return to the lineup this weekend, either against Philadelphia or the San Jose Sharks, coach Paul Maurice said. Defenseman Tim Gleason, out the last three games with an upper-body injury, was back in practice and probably will return to the lineup sometime next week.

Forward Tuomo Ruutu will end his three-game suspension and return for Sunday's game with the Sharks.

As for the practice, it was intense, and it should have been with the Canes winless in their last seven games and now 13th in the Eastern Conference.

Sometimes, a few small changes can make a big difference. Coach Paul Maurice hopes that's the case with the Canes.

Maurice has shuffled the lines. He has moved Rod Brind'Amour from center to wing. He has Eric Staal on the point on the power play. He has the option of playing Jussi Jokinen at center or the wing -- the same for Brandon Sutter.

Will that translate into a victory Wednesday against the St. Louis Blues? No one can say, of course, but the Canes believe they're taking the right steps to ending their funk.

It's the day before the opening of Hurricanes training camp, so why not a few thoughts from the captain?

Rod Brind'Amour is starting his 10th season with the Canes and says he has had a strong offseason. Here's some of what he had to say this week after the last of the informal "Camp Brindy" workouts at the RecZone:

On this year's team — "We seem to be a real veteran team, and I like that ..." he said. "Guys know how to win, guys know what it takes to get the job done."

You've got a member of a George Soros-backed group and a Carolina Hurricanes hockey player among the donors in the District 1 Wake school board race.

Rita Rakestraw's donors include Gene Guerrero, a senior policy analyst for the Open Society Institute, who gave $250. The institute's founder and president is liberal billionaire George Soros, who is not exactly a favorite of conservatives.

Chris Malone has got some star power, namely a $250 contribution from Rod Brind'Amour, the team captain for the Hurricanes. Brind'Amour's ex-wife lives just outside Wake Forest with their three young children.

UPDATE

The Board of Elections says Karen Simon doesn't have to file until Sept. 28 because she hasn't spent more than $3,000 yet.

Some of the Canes took to the ice today for a 75-minute session of "Camp Brind'Amour" at the RecZone.

Working out today: Rod Brind'Amour, Ray Whitney, Joe Corvo, Nic Wallin, Scott Walker, Aaron Ward, Sergei Samsonov, Chad LaRose and Tim Conboy.

Making a guest appearance: former Canes defenseman Sean Hill, who is in town visiting his wife's relatives and dropped by to skate.

The guys were a little rusty, a little winded, but that's to be expected. Walker and Ward also did some good-natured ribbing in the room after the workout.

Staff video by Chris Seward

Rod Brind'Amour was on the ice today for the Canes' practice at the RecZone.

Brind'Amour took a puck in the face in Game 7 against the Bruins and did not return to the game. He suffered a deep laceration over the right eye.

"I feel fine," Brind'Amour said. "I'm ready to go."

Get audio from Paul Maurice's news conference

The Canes now are optimistic that Rod Brind'Amour, injured in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins, will play Monday in the Eastern Conference final opener against Pittsburgh.

Brind'Amour suffered a laceration over the right eye after being hit by the puck early in overtime of the Canes' 3-2 victory in Game 7. He left the bench and did not return.

Pete Friesen, the team's head trainer, said today that Brind'Amour did not suffer a concussion and was "feeling better" today.

The Hurricanes still aren't sure about the status of center Rod Brind'Amour for the start of the Eastern Conference final against Pittsburgh.

Brind'Amour was hit with a puck early in overtime Thursday in the Canes'  3-2 win over the Boston Bruins that clinched the second-round series. General manager Jim Rutherford said today that the team captain was hit over the eye but not in the eye.

"We are concerned about it," said Rutherford, who said an update on Brind'Amour's condition would be made later today. "It's good that we have team doctors travel with us. They were able to look at him and treat him immediately."

Brind'Amour scored his first goal of the playoffs in Game 7, earning the Canes a 1-1 tie.

From Talking Points: 

Among the franchise records Ron Francis set in his two stints with the Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes are many that may never be broken.

There are a few that are ripe to fall, and Rod Brind’Amour claimed one Sunday when he played in his 63rd postseason game for the Hurricanes in a 3-0 win over the Boston Bruins to even their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

But he did it on a night when he was demoted to the fourth line with Ryan Bayda and Patrick Eaves, a strange moment in an unusual postseason for the Carolina captain.

Read more here.