Canes avoid history repeating itself

Signing Eric Staal to a long-term contract was an absolute “must” for the Carolina Hurricanes franchise. It ranks right up there with paying the power bill.

It had to be done.

Staal is the face – and the future – of the franchise. Keeping him in Hurricanes gear helps ensure a high level of play on the ice, and it reassures Canes fans that this team is committed to winning, even if it’s costly.

Star players come and go. Just two years ago, when the Hurricanes were still celebrating their Stanley Cup title over Edmonton, did anyone think Erik Cole would be traded to that very team? These things happen.

But franchise players like Eric Staal are truly rare indeed. And you don’t let them go without a fight. If any organization can appreciate that, it’s the Hurricanes.

Not quite two decades ago, when the Canes were known as the Hartford Whalers, a young center named Ron Francis was the face and future of the franchise. But when his contract season came along, the Whalers tried to play hardball and wound up losing him.

Francis left for Pittsburgh, where he won two Stanley Cups. And the Whalers left for Raleigh.

Eventually, Francis rejoined the franchise as a Hurricane. But the effect of his departure from Hartford was devastating. Jim Rutherford himself pointed this out when announcing Eric Staal’s contract extension. This team did not want history to repeat itself.