Tripp Tracy and Hurricanes Players to Instruct Near-Capacity Camps

RALEIGH, N.C. – Ken Lehner, Vice President of Marketing Communications for the Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the organization’s 2003 summer hockey camps will begin Monday, July 14, at RecZone, the team’s practice facility. Former professional goaltender and Hurricanes television analyst Tripp Tracy will run the camps for the third consecutive year.

Along with Tracy, Head Coach Paul Maurice, forward Jeff Daniels and goaltender Patrick DesRochers will work with campers on and off the ice for listed sessions. Captain Ron Francis will join Tracy, Maurice, Daniels and DesRochers to work with campers at the Skills-Development and Advanced camps, and other players will also make appearances.

“We are excited to give youth players the opportunity to skate with and learn from professionals like future Hall of Famer Ron Francis and Head Coach Paul Maurice,” said Tracy. “Combining NHL players and coaches with specialized individual attention has given us the ability to deliver an incredible package to youth players of all experience levels.”

The Skills-Development Camp is first of the Hurricanes’ three, weeklong camps. Intermediate Level Camp will begin July 21 and run through July 25, while the Advanced Camp runs July 28 through August 1. Each camp features on-ice, street-hockey, training and power-skating sessions Monday through Thursday, and concludes with games on Friday.

This is the fifth year for the Hurricanes’ summer youth camp. Since its inception in 1999, the camp has grown from one week and 50 participants, to three weeks in Raleigh and more than 240 participants.

“From year to year, we have seen our greatest and most rapid increase in numbers at the youngest ages of the entry level camps,” said Tracy. “This speaks volumes about the continued growth of the sport in this region and the effect that the Canes have had on the area youth.”

A very limited number of spaces remain for certain age and position groups. Players interested in attending this year’s camps should contact Fan Development Manager Brian Mehm at brianm@carolinahurricanes.com or by phone at 919-861-5434.

Media interested in covering summer youth camps should contact Director of Media Relations Mike Sundheim at 919-861-5477, or Manager of Media Relations Kyle Hanlin at 919-861-5429. RecZone is located at 912 Hodges Street in Raleigh.