NEWS
Hurricanes Sign Michael Fora: The Hurricanes added some more depth early on this offseason, inking Swiss defenseman Michael Fora to a two-year, entry-level contract. The 22-year-old has logged three seasons in his home country’s top league, including a breakout 27-point campaign last year, but is no stranger to North America, having spent the 2014-15 season with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.Given the nature of his contract, Fora could be set to begin his North American pro career with the Checkers, where his big frame (6-foot-4, 214 pounds) and scoring touch (ranked second among team blue liners and 11th in the league last season) could make him a substantial force on the Charlotte blue line.
Canes Take Svechnikov Second Overall: The Canes were the big winners of the draft lottery in April, moving all the way up to the second overall pick thanks to some lucky ping pong balls. Friday saw them take advantage of that fortuitous leap, selecting Russian-born forward Andrei Svechnikov with that number two pick. The 18-year-old scorer will almost certainly forgo the AHL route and jump right into the NHL next season, giving Carolina a dynamic player who should immediately be a contributing force.
Canes Select Five On Day Two Of Draft: While Carolina’s first-round selection may never don a Checkers sweater, day two of the draft featured a slew of prospects who could be headed for Charlotte a few years down the road. The Canes loaded up on forwards to kick off the day, headlined by the Harvard-bound nephew of Chris Drury, Jack Drury. The final two rounds saw Carolina go to the blue line to take 20-year-old, SHL-bound Swede Jesper Sellgren, then between the pipes to take future Providence College netminder Jacob Kucharski.
Prospect Spotlight: Saku Maenalanen
Described as a “big, strong winger who can really skate”, Maenalanen will have a shot at making the Hurricanes out of training camp, but given the nature of his contract he could begin his North American career with Charlotte. With the Checkers, Maenalanen would give an already potent offensive attack another weapon for their arsenal.
Whatever Happened To: Bryan Rodney
Rodney would sign a deal with the Ducks that summer and spend the first half of 2011-12 with their AHL affiliate in Syracuse before being dealt to Edmonton. He would see one game with the Oilers (his final NHL contest) while spending the rest of the regular and postseasons with Oklahoma City, helping lead the Barons to the Western Conference Finals. Rodney’s next move would be to sign an AHL contact with the Manchester Monarchs in 2012-13, but his play was enough to fetch another NHL deal the following offseason from Nashville. He would finish third on the Milwaukee Admirals in helpers that season, but that would prove to be his last stop in North America.
Rodney made the jump to Austria’s top league in 2014-15, ranking fifth on the Italian-based Bolzano in assists. He would head to the Czech league the following season, but after logging just 18 games his contract was terminated and he would retire from hockey. Rodney now runs a training program for defensemen in his hometown of London, Ontario.