[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11874]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 CONGRATULATING THE CAROLINA HURRICANES

  (Mr. ETHERIDGE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues to 
congratulate the Carolina Hurricanes for winning the most storied 
trophy in sports, the Stanley Cup. The Hurricanes defeated the Edmonton 
Oilers in game seven to win the first Stanley Cup and the first 
professional league sporting title for any North Carolina team. The 
Hurricanes exemplify what is great about professional sports: teamwork, 
dedication, and sportsmanship.
  In addition to congratulating the players, coaches and the Hurricanes 
organization, I would also like to congratulate all the team's fans, 
the Caniacs. When the Hurricanes first arrived in North Carolina in 
1997, skeptics across North America really thought that a Southern 
State could not support a hockey team. Well, we certainly have proven 
them wrong. The excitement that the team's fans displayed throughout 
every game of the playoffs shows that folks in basketball country love 
our hockey team. It may be shocking to our cold weather natives, but 
North Carolina won the cup. Hockey has long been thought of as a 
national sport to our neighbors to the North, but now it is the sport 
of the good old North State.
  Congratulations, Canes.

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