Hurricanes Add Ray Whitney, Three Others to Scouting Staff

The Carolina Hurricanes have made three new additions to their scouting staff, including recently retired NHLer Ray Whitney, the team announced Monday.

Other hirings include Mark Craig and Jeff Daniels, who have been added to the club’s pro scouting staff. They’ve additionally hired Don Elland, who will serve on their amateur scouting staff.

Whitney is grabbing his first post-playing career gig in an NHL organization. He retired in January, following a 22-season, 1,330-game career. Five of those seasons came with the ‘Canes, including the 2005-06 season after the lockout when he helped the team win the Stanley Cup.

Craig was the GM of the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers in the 2014-15 season and has previously worked as a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers. ‘Canes owner Peter Karmanos Jr. had previously hired Craig to a team staff back when Karmanos owned the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires.

NEWS: #Canes announce additions to scouting staff including Ray Whitney, Jeff Daniels. More: http://t.co/BSW39X1Xg1 pic.twitter.com/Fyc3FT64tZ

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) August 31, 2015

Daniels most recently coached Carolina’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte. He also played 425 NHL games, which included time with the Hurricanes in the 1997-98 season and then again from 1999-2003.

Elland joins the staff following time spent as the head coach of the Plymouth Whalers last season. He initially joined the Whalers staff in 2010 as an assistant coach to Mike Vellucci, who is now the ‘Canes assistant general manager.

“Mark, Jeff and Ray will bring a fresh perspective to our pro scouting staff, and Don brings a wealth of experience in the OHL to our amateur staff,” said general manager Ron Francis in a statement announcing the hirings.

Meanwhile, the News & Observer’s Luke DeCock reports that the team did not re-sign pro scout Greg Stefan, whose contract was up at the end of the season.