CAROLINA JR HURRICANES EARN RESPECT ACROSS NORTH AMERICA

Ask any coach in the USHL, OHL, EJHL, NAJHL, AJHL, Tier II Canadian or Major Division I college hockey and they know the Carolina Jr Hurricanes have one of the best youth hockey programs in the country when it comes to developing high end talent. Last season marks the fourth year in a row the Jr Hurricanes have had a number of our players drafted to the USHL and the OHL which are regarded as the top leagues in the US and Canada. Just ask Rick Comley who is the head scout for the USHL, “The Jr Hurricanes always have players on our list when we are scouting for talent. In past few years they have a track record of producing players that have great fundamentals and understanding of the game.”

In the USHL (United States Hockey League, Tier 1 Junior A) the Jr Hurricanes we have four former players competing in the league.

Sean Murphy - Tri City Storm Trevor Owens - Bryan Moore - Sioux Falls Stampede Sean Romeo -

Players drafted last spring in the 2011 USHL Futures Draft.

Charlie Pelnik- 1st round Alex Wilkinson -Cedar Rapids Rough Riders 3rd round

In the OHL (Ontario Hockey League Tier 1 Jr A) the Jr Hurricanes have our first player competing the league this season.

Mitchell Eisenberg- Erie Otters

Drafted in the 2011 OHL draft.

Charlie Pelnik- Plymouth Whalers (Owned by Canes owner Per Karmanos)

In the NAJHL (North American Hockey League Tier 2 Jr A) we have one player reperesenting the Canes.

Thayer Universal- Jamestown Ironmen

In the BCHL (British Columbia Hockey League Tier 2 JR A) we have two former players competing.

Sean Flynn -Nanamo Clippers Jared Chinn -Nanamo Clippers

In the AJHL (Alberta Jr Hockey League Tier 2 Jr A) we have two former Canes standouts playing.

Max Collins- Bonneville Pontiacs Jeremy Bost -Bonneville Pontiacs

In the SJHL (Saskatewan Junior Hockey League Tier 2 Jr A) we have one former Jr Cane Alum.

Ryan Fitzgerald- Notre Dame Hounds (former Jr team of Rod Brind’amour)

In a recent weekend at the North American Prospects tournament in Blaine MN, Jr Hurricanes Midget coaches Mike O’Leary and Clay Cotie were approached by the Micheal Callan of the New Hampshire Monarchs, which is one the top teams in the EJHL (Eastern Jr Hockey League Tier 2 Jr A) with interest in some of our top players. The EJHL is a league the Jr Hurricanes will also look forward to placing players in the future.

At the college level the Jr. Hurricanes produced Charlie Pelnik, the second youngest player ever to commit to the NCAA powerhouse The University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. North Dakota has alumni such as Zach Parise of the New Jersey Devils and Jonathon Toews of the Chicago Black Hawks, so it goes without saying that these are schools that target top hockey talent for their teams.

We also have two of our former JR Hurricane girls players committed to top Division I programs, Colleen Murphy to Northeastern University and Meghan Grieves to Boston College.

For such a young program, the Jr Hurricanes are extremely proud to be producing these types of results, which are a testament to the commitment of the Jr Hurricanes /RYHA’s (Raleigh Youth Hockey Association) philosophy of long term development in all aspects of the game. These programs were built with creating strong fundamentals on the ice and strong work habits on and off the ice, which have become the backbone of the program. Make no mistake that these results have been achieved through hard work and commitment. Instead of resting on these results, the Jr Canes will remain focused on continuing to improve its programs to give players their best opportunity to succeed in their hockey careers. The goal of Jr Hurricanes/RYHA is to become the best hockey development program in the country, and we realize this goal will require continuous adaptation, teamwork, and commitment from all of its coaches and volunteers. We look forward to continuing to improve our program for our next generation of players that strive to play at these levels and hopefully one day in the NHL.

By: Colin Muldoon