60 Among their handful of restricted free agents, the Carolina Hurricanes have two that present a unique negotiating challenge: Tim Gleason and Tuomo Ruutu. www.newsobserver.com/1066793 Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos is expected to travel to Raleigh to meet with coach Peter Laviolette next week in a face-to-face meeting that may determine Laviolette's future with the team. www.newsobserver.com/1066486 A day after he was fired by the Maple Leafs, Paul Maurice talks about his future plans — and how this firing was different from when the Canes fired him in December 2003. www.newsobserver.com/1065635 Paul Maurice was fired as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday after the team failed to make the NHL playoffs during his two seasons. www.newsobserver.com/1065024 The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired coach Paul Maurice, according to media outlets in Canada. www.newsobserver.com/1064176 Forward Matt Gellatly, a junior at Enloe High School and a Raleigh native, has become the first player in the Carolina Hurricanes' junior system to be selected in the prestigious Ontario Hockey League draft. www.newsobserver.com/1063756 Having completed a hands-on restructuring of the sales force of Compuware, the software company he helped found, Peter Karmanos says he's going to try to do the same with the Carolina Hurricanes. www.newsobserver.com/1055119 Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford was one of four NHL general managers named to a new working group that will study goaltending equipment, along with Doug Riseborough of Minnesota, Garth Snow of the Islanders and Brett Hull of the Stars. www.newsobserver.com/1054321 While Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford continues to digest his team's season before making any big decisions, veteran defenseman Glen Wesley is doing the same. www.newsobserver.com/1053654 Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford hasn't made a decision on the future of coach Peter Laviolette. www.newsobserver.com/1047960 Carolina Hurricanes captain Rod Brind'Amour, who had reconstructive surgery Feb. 15 for ligament damage in his left knee, was back on the ice Monday. www.newsobserver.com/1045536 The Canes captain, who had reconstructive surgery Feb. 15 for ligament damage in his knee, joined several teammates who were working out at the RecZone today in preparation for next month's International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Championship. www.newsobserver.com/1044945 Opting to stay with the team that rejuvenated his NHL career, forward Sergei Samsonov agreed Wednesday to a three-year contact with the Hurricanes. He revived his reputation with 14 goals and 18 assists in 38 games. www.newsobserver.com/1040138 Two of Carolina's 2006 draft picks have agreed to entry-level contracts with the Hurricanes for next season. www.newsobserver.com/1039100 An informal newsobserver.com poll has found overwhelming support for Carolina Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette. www.newsobserver.com/1037516 As expected, Hurricanes defenseman Tim Gleason has been named to the U.S. national team for May's IIHF World Championships, USA Hockey announced today. www.newsobserver.com/1036695 When the Carolina Hurricanes twice failed to win games in the final week of the season that would have clinched a playoff spot, those losses came at a heavy price. www.newsobserver.com/1035448 In his state-of-the-team news conference Thursday afternoon, Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford made it clear he had not yet seriously considered whether to make a coaching change. www.newsobserver.com/1033179 If Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford does decide to fire Peter Laviolette — and he made it clear Thursday that his mind is anything but made up on the subject — it won’t be for what happened at the end. It will be for November and December and the way the team sputtered after a great start. www.newsobserver.com/1032269 At least two members of the Carolina Hurricanes will gain some playoff experience this year, if only in the minor leagues. www.newsobserver.com/1031675 Racked by injury after injury, the Canes started hot and played well down the stretch, only to lose three of their final four games and miss the playoffs. In the end, they paid the price for a lackluster December and January. www.newsobserver.com/1030357 The Carolina Hurricanes lost 337 man-games this season, the most since the team moved to North Carolina in 1997. The previous high had been 290 in 2002-03, when the Hurricanes finished dead last in the NHL. www.newsobserver.com/1030506 Frantisek Kaberle will not play for the Czech Republic at the World Championships because he's scheduled for shoulder surgery Wednesday. www.newsobserver.com/1029453 Peter Laviolette coached the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup in 2006, but after missing the playoffs the next two seasons, he may find his job status up for review this spring. www.newsobserver.com/1029038 Canes become first team to miss playoffs two straight years after winning Cup. www.newsobserver.com/1026846 Carolina could have wrapped up the Southeast Division and a playoff berth with a victory over the Florida Panthers, a team that had not won in the RBC Center since 2002. Now, the Canes need the Panthers to hold the Caps pointless. www.newsobserver.com/1026054 As gifts go, the most avid, drooling, ice-obsessed hockey fan would be happy with an autographed sweater -- or even a souvenir puck. www.newsobserver.com/1025992 For the Carolina Hurricanes, a win tonight over the Florida Panthers will clinch their fourth division title in the past nine seasons. A loss, and their playoff fate is out of their hands. www.newsobserver.com/1024610 With their playoff fate on the line, the Canes scored on their first shot, got a hat trick from Chad LaRose and used a preposterously favorable bounce to put the game away on their way to a critical 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday. www.newsobserver.com/1023048 Their lead in the Southeast Division has dwindled to nothing, and they remain in first place only by a tiebreaker after losing what might turn out to be the most important game of the season Tuesday night. www.newsobserver.com/1021801