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Skyler Brind’Amour was six years old when the Carolina Hurricanes first won the Stanley Cup.
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The story has often been told of how he was awakened by his dad, Canes captain Rod Brind’Amour, the morning of Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers in the 2006 Cup Final.
Rousing from his sleep, Skyler said, “Dad, you have to win,” adding to his father’s stress level, which already was through the roof with the Canes on the verge of the Cup, one win short of fulfilling a dream.
Skyler Brind’Amour smiled Wednesday when reminded of that June day in 2006. He ended the night in his dad’s arms, in the midst of a wild on-ice celebration, after the Canes claimed the Cup with a 3-1 victory over the Oilers.
The next morning, Skyler awoke to find the Stanley Cup sitting a few feet away.
“To have it right by your bed, that’s something you never forget,” he said.
Twenty years later, Rod Brind’Amour was the head coach when the Hurricanes won a second Stanley Cup, fulfilling another dream. Skyler Brind’Amour was not there to see it, the only Brind’Amour family member not on the ice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas after the Game 6 clincher over the Vegas Golden Knights.
Amy Brind’Amour, Rod’s wife, was there. And Brooks, their youngest son. And Skyler’s sister, Briley, and brother, Reece.
“I was actually watching in a hotel room,” Skyler said.
But he didn’t say that glumly. Brind’Amour and the Chicago Wolves were wrapped up in the AHL’s Calder Cup playoffs and had taken a loss to the Toronto Marlies in Game 2 of their series earlier that day. Then it was time to gather a few teammates and turn on the TV for the Canes-Vegas game.
The Canes never trailed in Game 6, taking the lead on a Taylor Hall goal and winning 3-0 behind goalie Brandon Bussi’s 22-save shutout.
“We had lost and I was in a bad mood, but winning helped that,” Skyler said.
Soon, Rod Brind’Amour was joyfully lifting the Cup on the ice, just as he did 20 years ago.
“It’s just as awesome,” Rod Brind’Amour said after the game. “As a player it was a little different because I worked and dreamt of winning the Cup my whole life so that was like a piano came off my back. This time around I wanted it for the group. I wanted them to feel what it’s like.”
Skyler said he was fielding calls and texts late in the game and FaceTimed some friends in the final minutes. But he did catch sight of his father covering his eyes in the last few seconds, caught up in the emotion of the moment with the quest for the Cup coming to an end.
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That, too, was special.
“For sure,” Skyler said. “I’ve seen how hard he’s worked to get it back to where it was. I know how hard all these guys have worked and it was cool to see that pay off.
“They deserve it. They played unbelievable.”
Skyler said he texted his dad after the game – Rod Brind’Amour understandably was being pulled hither and yon – and then had a chance to have a longer father-and-son chat the next day.
Skyler Brind’Amour’s hockey path has included junior hockey in Raleigh and college hockey at Quinnipiac, where the Bobcats were the 2023 NCAA champions. The forward signed with the Florida Panthers and spent a year with their AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, appearing in a preseason game against the Hurricanes in Raleigh.
Signed by the Hurricanes, he has spent most of the past two seasons with the Wolves. But he did make his NHL debut, with the Hurricanes. He did score his first NHL goal. He has played six NHL games with his father behind the bench.
Made an unrestricted free agent after this past season, Skyler is hoping to soon get a new contract signed, saying Wednesday, “We’ll see how it all plays out.” Staying in Raleigh over the summer, he has joined some of the Canes in informal skates at Invisalign Arena, preparing for a new season.
“Probably like everybody I’ve had my ups and downs,” he said. “Everyone has gone through some good times, some tough times, when you play a sport.
“But it’s been a lot of fun. For me, the reason I keep coming back is I enjoy coming to the rink every day. There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing. As long as I have that feeling I’m happy to play wherever.”
Skyler Brind’Amour touched the Stanley Cup as a kid. He has not done it since, as a player. Son, like father, believes you have to win it first.
Skyler grinned when told some had wondered if his father, having won the Cup as a player and now lifted it again as the Canes coach, might consider retiring — a job well done, the mission complete.
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“No, no,” Skyler said. “ I think he’s still got a few more years left in him.”