Brind’Amour working to make a name for himself | TheAHL.com

by Chris Kuc | AHL On The Beat

On a recent wintry night in Rosemont, Ill., Carolina Hurricanes brass gathered to watch the organization’s top prospects take the ice for its American Hockey League affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour was seated in the front row of an Allstate Arena suite to get a first-hand look at players who soon could make an impact at the NHL level.

While Brind’Amour was assessing each Wolves player when they took the ice, his attention was naturally drawn to the player wearing No. 22 and sporting a familiar name stitched across the back of his jersey.

Skyler Brind’Amour, the 25-year-old son of Rod, is in his first season with the Wolves and has developed into one of the team’s most reliable forwards. Through 53 games, Skyler has already established AHL career highs with 13 goals — including two on the power play, two shorthanded and two that were game-winners – five assists and 18 points.

“I enjoy watching him play,” Rod Brind’Amour said during a break in the action. “When we talk hockey, I’m a coach first. If there’s something that I see, I’ll try to make sure I’m teaching. Then there is the supportive stuff. I try not to be too hard on him. You have to be a dad, too.”

To that end, Rod watches each Wolves game and doesn’t hesitate to reach out with his thoughts on Skyler’s performance.

“He usually sends me a text,” Skyler said. “He watches all the games, not only for me but he likes to see the prospects, so I talk to him quite a bit. He gives me his thoughts on the game — some good, some bad.

“Obviously, he’s juggling a couple of things being a coach and being a dad,” Skyler continued. “You always think your kid can do this and do that but he’s good about it. He tries to stay out of it and let me initiate the conversation on the feedback. Sometimes, I don’t want to hear it so he’ll leave me alone. For the most part, it’s all good. He knows what he’s talking about so I try to listen.”

Rod Brind’Amour should know what he’s talking about. He played 1,484 NHL games with the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes during a career that spanned from 1989 to 2010 — and included captaining the Canes during their run to the 2006 Stanley Cup championship.

The two-time Frank J. Selke Trophy winner and 1992 NHL All-Star has been head coach of the Hurricanes since 2018 and captured the Jack Adams Award as the league’s…