GARNER, N.C. — Inside a cramped referees locker room with low ceilings and wood-paneled walls—a bucket of hot rocks away from a small sauna, basically—Andrei Svechnikov is lacing up his skates and listening to instructions. Alongside fellow Hurricanes winger Martin Necas, the 19-year-old will soon make a guest coaching appearance at a practice for some under-10 boys and under-12 girls teams. It won’t be a heavy lift, Emile Hartman, the Hurricanes’ youth and amateur hockey coordinator explains to them. Just hop into drills, pass pucks, bump fists ...
“And,” says Hartman, nodding toward Svechnikov, “I’m sure all the kids will want you to pull out the move.