Carolina Hurricanes fans are about a week away from welcoming their team back to the ice. Hockey owners and the N-H-L Players Association recently reached an agreement on collective bargaining which lifted a nearly four-month-long lockout. Players are now getting ready for a condensed season. Hurricanes' general manager Jim Rutherford says it's great to see the players skating again, but he hasn't lost sight of the others affected by the long lockout.
Jim Rutherford: "Our fans..their frustration and their emotions..which in some ways is a good thing because they obviously care about the sport. But to all the people that worked here. The part-time people that didn't get the nights they usually get especially leading up to Christmas. The businesses that depend on us."
The 48-game N-H-L regular season is expected to start next Saturday. The Hurricanes will likely play on home ice for the first time one week from next Tuesday.