Long before Eric Robinson became an important depth piece for the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup final, he was on the ice for five hours a day with coach Guy Gaudreau and the 'Hollydell Boys.'
Carolina Hurricanes left winger Eric Robinson has made a long journey from a now-famed hockey rink in South Jersey – Hollydell, which has produced numerous NHL and major-college players – to the Stanley Cup final.
Hollydell is where Robinson got his baptism as a young player, learning under coach Guy Gaudreau and playing alongside the coach's talented sons, Johnny and Matty.
"I can speak on Coach Guy, and I think all our friends from home can touch on how hard he was on us," Robinson said before the final started. "We were always skating; we were on the ice for five hours a day. And if you weren't working your bag off, he was all over you, hounding you. There's a reason one small rink in South Jersey produced a lot of good players, a lot of college players and some NHL players. Coach Guy was a big part of that."
Coincidentally, the team Robinson played on as a youngster was the Hollydell Hurricanes. So it seems appropriate that he is now trying to help the Hurricanes win their first Stanley Cup since 2006.
"When I signed, it felt like I was meant to be a Cane because I grew up wearing that (logo). I definitely feel at home here wearing that jersey," said Robinson, who last June signed a four-year contract extension that totals $6.8 million. "It's something a little extra special because I grew up wearing that same logo."
Carolina dropped a wild 5-4 decision Tuesday to the visiting Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1. Game 2 is Thursday in Raleigh.
Robinson, 30, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound fourth-liner known for his speed and tenacity, excelled in the Eastern Conference final, scoring three goals in five games as the Hurricanes ousted the Montreal Canadiens.
The Bellmawr, N.J., native is part of a text string that is known as the 'Hollydell Boys,' a group of players who starred at the rink in Sewell, N.J. As the players got older, most of them continued to do well in college or in the pros.
No one did better than Johnny Gaudreau, a seven-time NHL All-Star Game participant and first-team all-star. Tragically, Johnny and his brother, Matty, died while bicycling on a rural New Jersey road in 2024 when hit by an alleged drunk driver in an SUV.
After the United States upset Canada to win the Olympic gold medal in February, Johnny Gaudreau's No. 13 jersey was carried around the ice by Team USA players, and two of his young children were taken from the stands and placed in the team photo. Johnny would have been a member of the team, U.S. coach Mike Sullivan said.
If Carolina finds a way to defeat a sizzling Vegas team that has won seven straight playoff games, it wouldn't be surprising if Robinson paid tribute to the Gaudreau brothers – and Coach Guy – by bringing the Stanley Cup to either the Hollydell Ice Arena or to Guy and Jane Gaudreau's house in Pedricktown, N.J.
Robinson, who was Johnny Gaudreau's teammate in Columbus, and the Hollydell Boys would frequently hang out at the Gaudreaus' house, have bonfires in the backyard, and talk about their hockey dreams.
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