The Loop
Carolina Hurricanes risk life, limb, and ego, play dodgeball on skates after 4-1 win
In the pantheon of bad ideas, dodgeball on skates is right up there alongside running with scissors. But don't tell that to the Carolina Hurricanes, who added another chapter to their fabled post-game "Storm Surge" celebrations on Tuesday with a bladed, ice-slicked version of the American schoolyard's ultimate equalizer. Bold move, Cotton. Let's see how it worked out for them . . .
The good news: Everybody survived with ten fingers and two attached eyeballs. That's a win-win in our book. The bad news: At some point there's going to be a point of diminishing returns on one of the NHL's best new traditions, and it feels like we're rapidly approaching that point. We've seen curling . . .
. . . heavyweight title bouts . . .
. . . and even a dunk contest.
One of these days, somebody's going to tweak a meniscus, and that's going to be that for the Storm Surge fun. You might walk away from a game of dodgeball with a couple of bruised egos at first, but keep it up and it's only a matter of time until things go full 'Lord of the Flies'. That said, as long as Carolina keeps winning like they did Tuesday night—taking down Winnipeg 4-1 to collect their 61st point of the season—Average Joe's Canes fans will be more than happy.