Well, the Carolina Hurricanes went and did it. With last night's 3-1 win over Edmonton, the state of North Carolina finally has a professional sports championship. Who would've ever thought that the state's hockey team would get a championship before the Carolina Panthers or Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats? Very few did. But it happened. And the complete Hurricanes "organ-I-zation," the city of Raleigh and the rest of the Triangle should be proud. For that matter, so should the rest of the state.
Instead of trying to come up with something original, I'll just link/summarize what folks across the region/nation are saying on the morning after.
-The News & Observer's Ned Barnett writes that it's a "state of disbelief" right now. "It is a stunning and perhaps transforming win for a Southern region where NHL hockey is less than a decade old. Whatever happens from now on, this region will be home to the Cup for a year and part of its history always."
-N&O Canes beat writer Luke Decock describes how Canes captain Rod Brind'Amour was "overcome with emotion" when he finally got to hoist the Cup. "On the brink of tragedy after missing out on two chances to close out the Edmonton Oilers, the Hurricanes claimed ultimate success with a 3-1 win in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals on Monday, securing North Carolina's first major league title and setting off a night of wild celebration across the Triangle, starting with the scene at center ice at the RBC Center where Brind'Amour accepted the Cup from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman."
-And in print everywhere, the Caniacs are being praised for the atmosphere that filled the RBC Center. "From the moment the home team opened the scoring in the second minute and the roar threatened to punch holes in the RBC Center roof, the fans yelled themselves hoarse as they cheered their heroes to Stanley Cup glory in a thrilling Game 7," writes the Durham Herald-Sun.
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