The 2026 Hockey Hall of Fame class was announced on Monday afternoon, and there were several notable names on it, including former forwards Patrice Bergeron and Keith Tkachuk, goaltenders Pekka Rinne and Carey Price, and executive Brian Burke.
However, one name missing from the list was current Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour, who recently became the first coach in several decades to win the Stanley Cup with a franchise as both a player and a head coach. This felt like a snub to the Hurricanes' official social media account, which directed a question to the Hockey Hall of Fame voters.
“What else does he have to do?” the Hurricanes' social media team wondered on X.
Brind'Amour, who was acquired by the Hurricanes from the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1999-2000 NHL season, helped Carolina reach the 2002 Stanley Cup Final, but they were defeated in five games by the Detroit Red Wings, who were stacked with 10 future Hall of Fame players. Four years later, in 2006, Brind'Amour led the Hurricanes to victory in the Stanley Cup Final over the Edmonton Oilers, winning in seven games.
Unfortunately, it would be the only title that he would win during his playing days, which came to a close after the 2009-10 NHL season. Brind'Amour later would take over the head coaching duties of the Hurricanes before the 2018-19 season, and he would help lead them to a stunning first-round upset over the defending champion Washington Capitals.
In December 2024, he became the fastest coach to 300 wins in NHL history, taking just 488 games to do so.
