Ray Whitney Gives ‘Canes An Early Season Celebration

There is no question that the ‘Canes have struggled early this season, posting an uninspiring 2-5-3 record through the first 10 games. Besides the stellar play of Cam Ward, there have been few bright spots. One noteworthy story has been the play of veteran Ray Whitney. Last season, Whitney posted a team leading 77 points, and a career-high 53 assists. With 8 points through 10 games, Whitney has picked up where he left off last Spring. And by playing in his 1,000 NHL game last week, Whitney allowed the Carolina club to honor a well deserved milestone in an early season that has provided little reason to celebrate.

Everybody loves Raymond. (Photo courtesy of Wendy Bullard/ Flikr.)

The 1000 game society is a small club. Only 247 players have played 1000 games in the NHL, of which only 28 are still active. Gordie Howe is the undisputed leader in games played with 1767 over 26 NHL seasons. Ron Francis played in 1731 total games, including 16 seasons with the Carolina/Hartford franchise. The Carolina/Hartford franchise has celebrated the 1000 game milestone on three previous occasions for Brian Propp, Glen Wesley and Rod Brind’Amour.
And like his fellow journeymen, Whitney is all too deserving of the honor.

During the course of his 1000 games, Whitney has experienced the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. He has been bought out and waived, he has played in all-star games and he has won the Stanley Cup. In addition to the NHL, Whitney has played in the IHL and AHL. Before he could dream of playing in 1000 major league contests, Whitney played hockey games in San Diego, Kansas City, Utah and Kentucky. Despite the challenges, there is little that Whitney has not experienced during his career.

carolina-hurricanes Whitney was chosen by San Jose in the first pick of the 2nd Round (23rd overall) in the deep 1991 NHL Entry Draft. At 5-10 and 180 lbs, Whitney is undersized by NHL standards, and his size has haunted him throughout his career. Since being drafted, Whitney has played for six NHL clubs, including San Jose, Edmonton, Florida, Columbus, Detroit and Carolina. After the 1996-1997 season, Whitney’s next contract proved elusive, and he joined Edmonton’s training camp as non-roster invitee. Ultimately, he signed for the league minimum with Edmonton, a team for which he had been a stick boy in his youth. Nine games later, Whitney couldn’t have felt further from a 1000 games when he was unceremoniously released. Whitney was subsequently picked up by Florida, and went on to score 32 goals that season. He was an all-star for Florida in 2000, and again for Columbus in 2003. He has made 6 playoff appearances, and he reached hockey immortality by placing his name on the Stanley Cup with his Carolina teammates in 2005-2006.

Whitney has been a positive addition to the Carolina club since he arrived for the 2005-2006 championship season. To be successful again the season, the ‘Canes will need Whitney to be a constant threat on the ice, and a leader in the locker room. If Whitney can motivate his teammates to battle through these early season struggles, Carolina should make a repeat playoff appearance. But if the ‘Canes bring the same grit, skill and determination that Whitney has showcased throughout his first 1000 games, Carolina could make another long playoff run this Spring.

Dan Canavan is an attorney in Hartford, Connecticut. Dan regularly covers business and legal issues facing the hockey industry for ctsportslaw.com. He has appeared as an on-air guest with regard to the NHL and the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy proceedings on CBC Radio’s World Report. His analysis and commentary have also been published in various media outlets including The National Post, The Windsor Star, The Star Phoenix, The Montreal Gazette, The Edmonton Journal, The Ottawa Citizen, The Vancouver Sun, The Province, Faceoff.com, and the Sports Litigation Alert. You can follow Dan on Twitter at twitter.com/DanielRCanavan. Dan can be contacted directly at dcanavan@ctsportsgroup.com.