Perhaps no one was having more fun than Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour after his Hurricanes won their second Stanley Cup in franchise history on Sunday.
Clips went viral on social media of Brind’Amour celebrating his first Cup win as a head coach, including one of him taking his shirt off in the locker room before lifting the Cup with his players celebrating around him.
Brind’Amour, nicknamed “Rod the Bod,” is no stranger to the Stanley Cup.
The 55-year-old, who spent parts of 10 years playing for the Hurricanes in the 2000s, was named captain Carolina’s captain prior to the 2005-06 season, and he would lead the team to their first Cup in franchise history. Brind’Amour’s No. 17 jersey is retired by the Hurricanes.
Brind’Amour’s Cup lift in 2006 is often regarded as one of the more iconic in NHL history. Back then, Brind’Amour couldn’t wait for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to hand him the Cup, and took it off the table himself before hoisting it in the air.
Brind’Amour’s second time with the Cup was memorable too. After Pyotr Kotchetkov handed his coach the Cup, Brind’Amour tossed the trophy in the air before catching it and wrapping it in a bear hug.
“That was just a little bear hug, I don’t know,” Brind’Amour said laughing.
“I wasn’t sure I was going to raise it over my head because that’s more of a player thing, but I had no choice.”
Brind’Amour, who has led Carolina to the playoffs in all eight of his seasons at the helm, is only the fourth person in NHL history to win a Cup with the same franchise as a player and coach, and 14th person to win as a coach and player for any team.