After practice at the RBC Center this morning, defenseman Jamie McBain walked among his teammates with a Hurricanes jersey and a card, soliciting signatures on both. The package will be sent to Jack Jablonski, a Minnesota high school hockey player who was paralyzed last week when he was hit head-first into the boards.

McBain said his father coached Jablonski at one point, but his gesture was more than that: It was a recognition by players competing at the highest level in the sport that what happened to Jablonski in a JV game could happen to any of them, at any time. They all shared his pain.

The Canes' Jamie McBain just couldn't bring himself to parachute out of an airplane at 13,000 feet. Maybe next time, he said. Maybe.

What McBain did do was spend much of Thursday at Fort Bragg. He joined members of Defending The Blue Line -- a charitable foundation based in Minnesota that supports the children of military families  -- who are spending a couple of days experiencing every-day life on the base and hosted hockey clinics and charity games for the kids.

"It's something I've never done before and wanted to experience," McBain said today. "I went down and just had an awesome time. It was great to get the kids on the ice and have some fun. It's nice to give back to them for all their parents do to support our country."

So long as there aren't any more injuries — and tonight is the last night of league play before the break — the All-Star and rookie rosters are set for the NHL All-Star Game and Superskills competition this weekend in Raleigh.

Colorado center Paul Stastny, who has 17 goals and 25 assists this season, has been chosen to fill the final open All-Star roster spot.

Also, Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban was added to fill the final spot among the 12 rookies that will participate in the SuperSkills competition alongside the All-Stars on Saturday.

For the Canes' Jeff Skinner, moving back to center from the left wing poses no problem.

"I think I'm equally as comfortable," Skinner said today. "Obviously I played a lot more at center than wing in junior. The past couple of months I've gotten used to the wing and have adjusted pretty well I think. Hopefully it goes well back at center."

For Canes coach Paul Maurice, the move has as much to do about the future as tonight's game against the Washington Capitals. The Canes' future, he said, will have Eric Staal, Brandon Sutter and Skinner as their top centermen.

"The thing to remember is that Staal, Skinner, Sutter, based on their ages, whenever it happens that's potentially a very, very good center ice," Maurice said.

Canes general manager Jim Rutherford said today that free agency is now entering "stage two" and the team is mulling over options concerning the back end.

Rutherford said a fundamental decision may rest with Jamie McBain -- and, in turn, Brett Carson and Alexandre Picard.

"One option is we could sign a top-four guy and let McBain ease in more," Rutherford said. "We think he's capable of playing in the top four but he is new to the league. The second option would be to leave McBain in the top four."

Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford anticipated a quiet holiday weekend, a day after the free agent signing period opened.

Rutherford, who heard from the agent of former Hurricanes defenseman Joe Corvo on Thursday, said it didn’t look likely that Corvo would return. Rutherford would like to have the Oak Park, Ill., native back in the Carolina fold, but Corvo is looking for more money than the Hurricanes can afford.

“It looks like he’s going to be out of our reach,” he said.

Rutherford said defensemen Alexandre Picard and Brett Carson were still options. The team offered the free agents contracts that would have removed their minor league clauses early this week. When the sides couldn’t agree on money, the Hurricanes elected not to qualify the offers, which would have given the players arbitration rights. As a result, they both became unrestricted free agents on Thursday.

“They’re still in the mix,” Rutherford said.

RALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 in a shootout off the stick of forward Chad LaRose at the RBC Center Thursday. 

Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson scored his first NHL goal at 2:12 in the third period, tying the Carolina Hurricanes at 2-2.

Washington forward Alexander Semin scored at 1:43 in the second period cutting the Hurricanes' early 2-0 lead in half.

The Canes' first goal was scored by defenseman Jamie McBain, who made his NHL debut on March 16. The blue-line shot on the power play at 2:11 was McBain's second goal of the season.

Defenseman Bryan Rodney scored the second goal, the first of his NHL career, at 9:09.

Hurricanes foward Jussi Jokinen earned the primary assist on both goals.

The Canes' Jamie McBain was once a forward. That lasted, he said, until the eighth grade.

But while he switched to defenseman, the offensive skills never left him. He's always been willing and able to jump into the play in the offensive zone, make the tough pass, unleash a shot.

Take Saturday, for example. His big shot from the high slot not only gave him his first NHL goal but beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. With 0.9 seconds to spare.

"I'm a guy who likes to get in the offense," McBain said. "I like to shoot. I'm a guy who wants to be able to contribute with points and on the scoresheet."

The Canes don't have any quit in them, do they?

Trailing the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 late in the third period today at Mellon Arena, the Canes tied the score on a Joni Pitkanen goal with four minutes left.

Think that was dramatic? Jamie McBain then wins it 3-2 with a slapper from the high slot with nine-tenths of a second remaining in overtime. McBain's first NHL goal beat the defending Stanley Cup champions. 

"It's an unbelievable feeling," McBain said. "Something like that, you hope it will happen and you never know when it will happen. You dream about it since you're a little kid.

"To be in this kind of game, in this kind of atmosphere, against of the top teams in the leagie, to have an overtime winner with not much time left in overtime is a pretty special feeling."

Jamie McBain should feel at ease in the Canes' locker room tonight. After all, it may look a lot like the Albany River Rats' room.

Around the defenseman will be Jay Harrison and Brett Carson, Patrick Dwyer and Zach Boychuk, not to mention Brandon Sutter. All were with the Rats at some point this season.

Harrison, recalled by the Canes on March 3, played a nice chunk of the season with McBain in the AHL and believes McBain is more than ready.

"It's great to see him get his first opportunity," Harrison said of McBain, who is expected to make his NHL debut tonight against the Boston Bruins. "It's probably the first of many, because he's such a talented young player and he's been playing well down there."