The Carolina Hurricanes just won the Stanley Cup Final, so what does star forward Andrei Svechnikov do? Drops by the local Raising Cane’s, fitting since he plays for the Canes, to celebrate by working and interacting with fans, of whom there were hundreds. New Leaf got the chance to be on hand for the impressive event and speak with Svechnikov about winning, his team, and more.
Carolina Hurricanes Star Andrei Svechnikov Talks Stanley Cup Victory
Andrei Svechnikov was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2018, and he made the team out of camp. He’s spent the last eight years as a key member of the team. In those eight seasons, the forward has made the playoffs eight times. It began with an Eastern Conference Finals elimination, and it never really got better from there.
The Canes have seen countless frustrating playoff exits since Svechnikov joined the team. Lately, they’ve been one of the best teams in the NHL, but there was always a wall in the playoffs that they ran into, usually in the ECF. Not this time, though.
When asked about the many crushing playoff defeats the Hurricanes have suffered in his tenure, the forward’s answer was simple. “We finally did it. This was the year,” Svechnikov said. Eventually, the playoff losses do add up, and teams can finally get over the hump. After years of heartbreak, the Canes did just that.
“That’s the best time ever right now, winning the Stanley Cup,” Svechnikov said. “I’ve been in the league, especially with the Hurricanes, that was my eighth year. And every playoff, we were kind of, it was a kick in the butt getting out of the playoffs… So happy right now, and a pleasure to do it with the boys that I did.”
It wasn’t just the players that won, though. The Raleigh and North Carolina community has been itching for a champion for 20 years, and the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers haven’t delivered, either. They haven’t come close, while the Hurricanes have.
Fan Reaction
Andrei Svechnikov said of the community reaction to the Stanley Cup title, “There’s so many people and just how much excitement and how [many] people involved that love hockey, it’s just crazy.” Fans lined the streets of downtown Raleigh to see the Hurricanes star drop by and work a celebratory shift at the local Raising Cane’s, with one even showing Svechnikov a picture of himself celebrating with the first Cup the Canes won in 2006.
50 fans even showed up at Svechnikov’s house the night the team flew back from Vegas, but it didn’t bother him at all. He is happy for the fans who are also enjoying this time, signing for them and taking autographs. “They’re going to have fun right now,” he said.
Resilience is a descriptor posed to Svechnikov about these Hurricanes. He said this season did embody that, especially for him. “I had a rough first ten games of the season. Just kind of believe, always believe. I was trying to work hard in that period of the time,” he said. “If you go back, that was my best season.”
The forward set a career high with 70 points in 79 games. He was third on the team in points scored, second in goals, and third in assists. And obviously, the Canes bounced back from the struggles in postseason play the last few years to dominate, going 16-3 en route to the title.
Svechnikov’s brother attended with him, and he fondly recalled playing hockey as children until they both realized they could do something special with it. He shouted out his parents for sacrificing “so much” to achieve this dream, which was always to lift the Stanley Cup.
Obviously, helping to bring a Stanley Cup to a championship-starved fan base cements Svechnikov as a Hurricanes legend. “All town, all state will remember this. We brought the Cup home and, you know, this is special times right now. We made the history and the history always will be sticking here,” he said.
What’s Next?
Naturally, the impetus is now on the Canes to repeat. They’re the betting favorites as of now, and with how successful they’ve been and the assets they still have to work with (not to mention so few outgoing free agents), repeating is obviously a conversation being had.
But for now, Andrei Svechnikov and his teammates are enjoying this. Whether it’s a week or two weeks that they celebrate, everything is about right now. They’ll worry about what’s next and how to defend their title later on. For now, like the fans in the streets, it’s just ecstasy.
Conclusion
Andrei Svechnikov has been a key member of the Carolina Hurricanes for eight seasons. He has slowly built himself into one of the best forwards in the sport, and the Canes have become one of the best teams. That finally paid off with a Stanley Cup title, and he was happy to celebrate with fans at the local Raising Cane’s.
