The Carolina Hurricanes are finally relevant again, and they’re having fun with it. Just before the playoffs begin, they announce surprising news about their controversial on-ice celebrations.
All good things must come to an end. And by “good things”, I mean the Carolina Hurricanes postgame “Storm Surge” celebrations. The Hurricanes are in a pretty good place at the moment, being on the verge of making the playoffs for the first time in ten years.
With all that hard work and success, they’ve earned themselves the right to have a little bit of fun. Which is exactly what the Hurricanes decided to do after their wins on home ice this season. After each win at home, they bypassed the traditional pomp and circumstance of a stick salute on the way to their dressing room in lieu of a much more elaborate and theatrical celebration.
Wheel a basketball hoop on the ice and start taking shots in your skates? Why not it’s March Madness! Pretend your sticks are arcade guns and re-enact the video game “Duck Hunt” after a win versus Anaheim? Sounds like fun. The “skull” clap and chant from Minnesota Vikings games? Don’t know where that one came from, but whatever floats your boat.
Not everyone was a fan of the Hurricanes after game escapades. Their most notorious critic was noted flamboyant suit enthusiast and host of Coaches’ Corner, Don Cherry. The hockey analyst with a multicolored blazer for any occasion famously referred to the Hurricanes as “a bunch of jerks” and criticized the way they played the game. They embraced Cherry’s comments, selling “Bunch of Jerks” t-shirts at their home games.
Critics of the Canes will be happy to know that the party is over in Raleigh. Hurricanes captain Justin Williams tweeted out the sad news that the “Storm Surge” was no more.
Regardless of the outcome tonight, this will be our last storm surge of the season. It has been an absolute treat celebrating victories with our @NHLCanes fans and muddying up the waters a little bit. We’ve created a buzz again in Carolina but we know ultimately we’ve done that
— Justin Williams (@JustinWilliams) March 28, 2019
by winning games and playing for eachother. Huge games are coming up for us. See you out there #TakeWarning pic.twitter.com/rMpPADaW1Z
— Justin Williams (@JustinWilliams) March 28, 2019
Before Cherry puts on a victory suit straight out of the Crayola factory, Carolina’s decision to stop the wacky and zany postseason antics were most likely not fazed by their haters. The playoffs are coming up and the Hurricanes want to make the most of the experience and make it last.
Unfortunately, that means they have to adjust their focus and take their team more seriously. Whichever first-round opponent they’re going to match up against is more important to them than what dance Sebastian Aho does at center ice.
Still, if there was ever a time that the fun and energy of the home crowd would have spilled over to the team in excitement, it would be the playoffs. Maybe Williams is tricking everyone, and if the Hurricanes get a win on home ice in Carolina a spontaneous Storm Surge celebration will break out again, even if just for a postseason encore. Until then, don’t cry because the Storm Surge celebrations over, smile because they happened.