The Hurricanes went 1-1-0 over the past week. Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour has meant a lot to the state of North Carolina. After being acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 23, 2000, Brind'Amour would play for 10 years in Carolina, where he took on the mantle of captain and went on to lead the team to its one and only Stanley Cup in 2006. But even after his playing days were over, Brind'Amour remained in the city and with the team as a player development coach, then he was an assistant coach and now he's a head coach, the best in franchise history and one of the best in the whole NHL. With nearly 25 years of history and impact on the Carolina Hurricanes, its fanbase, the city of Raleigh and the entire state of North Carolina behind him, it seems obvious why Governor Roy Cooper chose to bestow a great honor upon him. Following the team's 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, Cooper announced that he had presented Brind'Amour with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award, the state's highest civilian honor. "I went into the locker room after the game and told the players that this guy wouldn't want me to do what I was about to do because he's all about his players and all about team, but what I did was present Coach Brind'Amour membership into the State's highest honorary society, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine," Cooper said before Brind'Amour's typical post-game media availability. The state's highest award, the Long Leaf Pine is presented to persons who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through their exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments. "What he's meant to North Carolina has been extraordinary," Cooper said. "As a player, as a coach, as a parent, his involvement in youth hockey. When you think about all the jobs that the Carolina Hurricanes have brought to North Carolina and their success and interest in seeing all these families come out here... This guy has created a culture of winning and working hard and getting rewarded for your hard work and that's why I presented him the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. I was proud to do it and Coach, it's time to get that Stanley Cup this time." Brind'Amour, who never likes to have the spotlight on himself, predictably pushed the honor onto those around him. "It's not about me," Brind'Amour said. "We have such a good group and being singled out for something that I've done... I haven't done anything. I was part of a group of great people all along. I've just probably been here the longest. But it's a great honor. That's really all I can say. I'm humbled and grateful. It's a great honor. Really, really honored." However, Brind'Amour did have one question about a potential perk of being inducted into the order... "Does that get me out of my future speeding tickets?," Brind'Amour asked, laughing. "That's what I want to know. Maybe? No? All right."
