Hurricanes continue front office renovation, name senior VP of hockey operations

The Carolina Hurricanes continued to reshape their front office Tuesday, naming Rick Dudley as senior vice president of hockey operations.

“Rick brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our management group,” Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon said in a statement. “He has been a part of building championship teams on every level of professional hockey, and will play an important role in helping us build a winner in Raleigh.”

Dudley, 69, left the Montreal Canadiens organization, where he also served as senior VP of hockey operations. He said his long association with Don Waddell, the Canes' president and interim general manager, was a big factor in making what he said could be the last move of a long hockey career.

"I felt it was time for a different sort of challenge and I needed a change personally," Dudley said.

Dudley said his duties with Carolina have yet to be determined. He said he spent considerable time in recent years with the Canadiens involved in amateur scouting, but noted he does not come to Carolina with Montreal's draft list or prospect rankings.

The announcement on Dudley came one day after Dundon and the Canes terminated the contract of former general manager Ron Francis, who was reassigned to the position of president of hockey operations in March.

Dudley has been a senior executive in the NHL for 25 years, and once worked with Waddell with the Atlanta Thrashers.

Dudley said his association with Waddell first started when he hired Waddell as a player/coach in Flint, Mich., in 1985. They worked together with the San Diego Gulls of the International Hockey League. In 1992-93, with Dudley the coach and Waddell the GM, the Gulls won 62 games, one of the best seasons in pro hockey history.

Dudley has experience as an NHL general manager with four teams, helping to build the foundation for a Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning as GM from 1999 to 2002. He also was head coach of the Buffalo Sabres from 1989-1991.

Dudley once coached the Carolina Thunderbirds, a minor-league team in Winston-Salem, winning three championships in four years.

"It was a ball. A lot of fun." Dudley said. "I learned so much. I enjoyed every minute in Winston-Salem. This is like going home for me."

The Canes continue their search for a GM and a head coach to replace Bill Peters, although Dundon said there is no firm timetable for getting the hires made.

"I think we'll be in pretty good shape in the next month," Dundon said.

This story was originally published May 1, 2018 at 9:56 AM with the headline "Hurricanes continue front office renovation, name senior VP of hockey operations."