The names tumble and bounce off one another like dice in a cup. When Rod Brind'Amour was named captain of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2005, he replaced Ron Francis in that role. Brind'Amour was a no-brainer for the job, but even then, there were no guarantees he would be successful – let alone as successful as he eventually was.
Thirteen years later, with both of their jerseys honored in the rafters, with Francis deposed as general manager and the coach to whom he yoked his legacy having fled the scene, Brind'Amour again steps to the fore, in somewhat less of a sure thing.