Five years ago, the Carolina Hurricanes all but brought the 2012 NHL Entry Draft to a halt on the first night in Pittsburgh.
The Hurricanes traded for Penguins center Jordan Staal, giving up center Brandon Sutter, their first-round pick in the draft and defensive prospect Brian Dumoulin.
The arena, then called Consol Energy Center, was abuzz that Friday night. It also was Staal’s wedding day, and among those in Thunder Bay, Ont., was Pens captain Sidney Crosby and other Pittsburgh teammates.
[Slavin awaits company at Hurricanes practice facility]
[Canes’ Jaccob Slavin finds his place as a rookie]
[Slavin’s faith, not hockey, defines him as a person]
All but overlooked the next day, when the draft ended with the final six rounds, was a fourth-round pick by Carolina.