Rod Brind'Amour - Game One of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final

Legacy

Current head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes and captain of the 2006 Stanley Cup Champions Hurricanes team, Rod Brind'Amour's impact on the original WHA hockey team is forever etched in history.

Brind'Amour is currently trying to bring the success his team basked in to the modern build of the Carolina hockey team. The first team to win the Stanley Cup in the post-cap era, it's a team worth studying. Brind'Amour's style of play and impact on the ice are also worthy of a deep dive.

Drafted ninth overall in the 1988 draft by the St. Louis Blues, Brind'Amour played for three NHL teams before retiring in 2010. An impressive career that spans 20 years, Brind'Amour scored 452 goals, 732 assists (1184 points total) across 1484 games. In addition to his Stanley Cup, Brind'Amour won two Selke trophies (2006 and 2007), awarded to the best defensive forward of the season.

Brind'Amour was loved for his leadership, something he carries into today's Carolina team as head coach. But he was also an incredible two-way player. Game One of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final has excellent examples of his two-way expertise.

Game One - EDM vs. CAR Stanley Cup Final 2006

This is an excellent pass from Rod Brind'Amour in the neutral zone (NZ). The Edmonton Oilers have taken the lead in the middle of the first. Brind'Amour's shift has already been nearing a minute. He was known for his incredible stamina and fitness. More impressive as a 35-year-old.

Brind'Amour picks up the puck in the NZ and begins to drive wide, drawing an Edmonton defender towards him. A drop pass sets up his teammate for an excellent OZ entry.

Brind'Amour's two-way play can be captured in this 4-on-3 penalty kill (PK); he even generates a scoring chance.

Granted, the real heroes of this PK were defenseman Glen Wesley with a gnarly shot block and Cam Ward, who stole the show of this postseason. But watch Brind'Amour's reads. He knows which passing lanes to pressure and doesn't bite on fakes. Brind'Amour intercepts a pass with a well-placed stick and generates a scoring chance.

Here, Brind'Amour attacks on the rush and waits for a rebound after driving to the net. He's rewarded with an easy goal to open the scoring up for Carolina. 3-1 at the end of the second period.

Below is another excellent PK from Brind'Amour. In this example, we get a good look at Carolina's PK structure, a diamond formation. Brind'Amour plays the top of the diamond and the flank as the Hurricanes adjust to the Oilers' power play.

And Brind'Amour's goal to win the game 5-4 in the last remaining seconds, eliminating the need for overtime.

Brind'Amour's two-way play helped the Hurricanes' defense and prevented the Oilers from exploiting gaps in Carolina's defense. He also greatly impacted the game by being where he needed to be. Neither goal was flashy, but they happened because Brind'Amour was there. He was patient, and his positioning was sound. This enabled him to score two goals that impacted the game and the Hurricanes' chance of ultimately becoming champions.