Carolina Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky has shared his hiring philosophy behind the Stanley Cup-winning team. 

He spoke about it on The Sheet with Jeff Marek podcast on June 21, just a few days after the Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights for the franchise's second Stanley Cup title on June 14.

"We look for people who are thoughtful and creative and willing to take risks and able to communicate well, and we don't really get hung up on their background," Tulsky said about their front office hires.

He's brought in hockey veterans like Justin Williams, as well as staff like Tyler Dellow. Tulsky has also hired people from outside the sport, like pro scout Ellen Etchingham, who’s a former hockey blogger with no NHL experience.  

"Sometimes a playing career can be an asset when you're trying to move into scouting or development or whatever it is," shared Tulsky. "We try to make sure we're not missing anyone and make sure that we are giving opportunities to talented people regardless of their background."

Marek asked Tulsky about how Etchingham joined the team. Tulsky explained that they needed to bring in a couple of scouts, and he was familiar with her work, noting she is a strong communicator with a good understanding of the game.

Tulsky's own path into hockey was unusual, as he used to be a nanotechnology scientist with more than two dozen patents. Before all that, he used to write for a Flyers fan blog, Broad Street Hockey.

He then moved into analytics consulting, and eventually ended up with a full-time job with the Hurricanes. 

Tulsky became the assistant general manager in 2021 and was promoted to general manager in 2024. 

Meanwhile, Carolina's Stanley Cup title is already putting pressure on other teams to plan and rebuild their roster carefully.

Pressure mounts on rival front offices

The Boston Bruins just went through a first-round playoff exit, losing to the Buffalo Sabres. And it looks worse for them now that Carolina has won it all. Bruins' David Pastrnak didn't hold back about the state of their roster following their loss,

"I'm turning 30 in a couple of weeks. You know, I had one sniff at the Cup so far. It gets harder every single year," Pastrnak said.

By winning the Stanley Cup in six games over the Vegas Golden Knights, the Hurricanes secured Cup engravings for Taylor Hall, Brandon Bussi, and Mike Reilly. Pastrnak, however, still hasn’t had his name on the trophy, which is unlikely to be overlooked by the player.

Boston finished as the top contender in the Eastern Conference wild card this year. They still lost in the first round. 

It is still pretty unclear if the other teams will follow Carolina's approach of hiring outside traditional hockey backgrounds. But Tulsky's comments give rival offices a tip that might help them this offseason.

What do you think of Carolina's front office philosophy? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar