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Hurricanes Hire New VP

The Carolina Hurricanes have added to their management team just as the regular season kicks off.

Jacob Punturi

Mar 9, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA;Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (82) celebrates his goal against the New Jersey Devils during the third period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
Mar 9, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA;Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (82) celebrates his goal against the New Jersey Devils during the third period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images / Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
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The Carolina Hurricanes underwent some huge organizational changes this summer. Beginning with the departure of long-tenured executive and roster architect Don Waddell and replacing him with Eric Tulsky, it kickstarted a series of free agent signings and losses. Now, the Canes are trying to continue their playoff streak in the Metropolitan Division.

The Hurricanes made another move as the season is getting underway, but not one that will change their lineup. According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, the Canes are bringing in executive Chris Abbott as the team's new vice president of player personnel. Taking to his X account, Seravalli shared the news of his hiring.

Abbott is currently the general manager for HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). An extremely interesting aspect of this hiring is that he is not leaving his former club right away. According to Seravalli, Abbot is remaining in his role with HV71.

He is currently in his eighth season as a GM in the SHL, and it's believed he will transition slowly to the Hurricanes. That decision is a unique one in the NHL, as it is extremely rare for a person to not immediately join their new organization once they've been hired. With no clear timetable for him to be full-time in Carolina, it could be a bit before he settles in with his new role for the Hurricanes.

Before becoming a GM, Abbott played professionally. The highest league he reached in North America was the ECHL, where he played with the Stockton Thunder and Las Vegas Wranglers. He fared better in Europe, as he had stops in Norway and Sweden as a player in the SHL.

With the Hurricanes, Abbott is likely to assist the new GM in player assessment. He will probably have a voice in the scouting department, the roster's overall construction, and be crucial to the relationship between the players and the management team.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

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