After a long – and, let’s be honest, bitter – off-season, opening night is finally upon us. A summer’s worth of preparation and three tough weeks of training camp are in the rearview mirror, and it’s time to ring in a new season.

Mike Sundheim

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There was a definite buzz of excitement in the locker room today after practice. Everyone is ready to drive into that parking lot tomorrow, smell the smoke from the barbecues of tailgating Caniacs, and pull on that sweater for a game that counts. Whether you’re Rod Brind’Amour, starting your 20th NHL season, or Brandon Sutter, beginning your first, it’ll be pretty much impossible to not feel something stirring when you skate onto the ice at the RBC Center Friday night, showered by smoke and fancy flashing lights and the roar of the home crowd.

It was pretty cool to be standing there today when the lineup was posted, and see the look on Sutter’s face when he found out for certain that he will make his NHL debut right here tomorrow night. Brandon will be the first of this next generation of Sutter’s to play in hockey’s greatest league, joining his father and five uncles. Not much seems to faze him, but for someone who has spent his entire life immersed in the game, it had to be tremendously gratifying to see his name on that sheet today. I’ve been working in and around Hurricanes locker rooms for 10 seasons now, and I am pretty certain that I will never get tired of watching guys make their NHL debuts.

There are only two chances to see the Canes in Raleigh all month, and plenty of cool events surrounding these two games, so hopefully we’ll have full houses for both tomorrow night’s opener and Monday night’s showdown with Red Wings.

Happy hockey season, at last!

Media Alerts: Don’t forget that tonight at 7 p.m., Mike Maniscalco will host a two-hour season preview show on 99.9 The Fan. Mike’s show will include interviews with our players, coaches and broadcasters, as well as representatives from our four Southeast Division rivals.

Also, Eric Staal will join Bomani Jones and Mike Stangl on 620 The Bull for one last interview tomorrow at 11:25.

And a few more links from the Media Blitz. I will add others here if and when the outlets post them online:

• Patrick Eaves on NBC-17 with Penn Holderness
• Tim Gleason on 99.9 The Fan
• Matt Cullen on 99.9 The Fan