RALEIGH Keith Yandle Jersey , N.C. (AP) The Carolina Hurricanes hired former captain and current assistant Rod Brind’Amour as their coach Tuesday, hoping the ”greatest leader” in franchise history can end a nine-year playoff drought.The team also announced that club president Don Waddell will become the full-time general manager after serving as acting GM.The team scheduled a news conference for Wednesday to discuss the moves.Waddell said a number of coaching candidates were discussed, but ”our conversations with staff and players consistently returned to the same person.”One of the team’s most decorated players, Brind’Amour captained the Hurricanes’ only Stanley Cup championship team in 2006.”Rod is the greatest leader in the history of this franchise, and has earned the opportunity to take charge of our locker room,” Waddell said in a statement.The two-time Selke Award winner as the NHL’s best defensive forward retired in 2010 and ranks third in club history in assists (299), fourth in points (473) and fifth in games played (694).He replaces Bill Peters, who opted out of his contract last month following his fourth year and subsequently was hired by the Calgary Flames. He becomes the Hurricanes’ third straight first-time NHL head coach, after Kirk Muller and Peters.Brind’Amour has been a Carolina assistant since 2011. He spent half his 20-season NHL career with the Hurricanes, leading them to the Stanley Cup finals in 2002 and again four years later.But Carolina has made the playoffs only once in the 12 years since Brind’Amour hoisted the Cup, and the Hurricanes’ nine-year absence from the postseason is one of the longest stretches in NHL history.That has led to a busy five months for the Hurricanes Authentic Nick Bjugstad Jersey , with Dallas businessman Tom Dundon buying a majority interest in the team from longtime owner Peter Karmanos Jr. in January.A month later, Hall of Fame player and general manager Ron Francis – who, like Brind’Amour, has his jersey number hanging from the PNC Arena rafters – was reassigned to another front-office position, and his contract was terminated last week.In between, Peters – who was hired by Francis in 2014 – exercised the out clause in his contract, saying the incoming general manager should be able to pick his own coach.Turns out, that job fell to Waddell – the former general manager and president of the Atlanta Thrashers who had been part of the Hurricanes’ front office since 2014 and had been filling in since Francis’ demotion and subsequent exit.— CHICAGO (AP) The Vancouver Canucks have struggled to score since rookie Brock Boeser was shelved by a back injury.They got some help Thursday night from an unlikely source.Alexander Edler scored twice in his fourth career multigoal game, and the Canucks stopped a seven-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the sliding Chicago Blackhawks.Henrik Sedin and Bo Horvat each had a goal and an assist as Vancouver won for the first time since Boeser got hurt late in regulation of a 4-3 overtime victory against the New York Islanders on March 5. The Canucks (26-39-9) scored seven goals during their slide, which included three consecutive shutouts.”I don’t think we played a perfect game, but it was nice to get a win Vincent Trocheck Jersey ,” Edler said.Chicago (30-36-9) closed out a three-game homestand with its fifth consecutive loss. Jean-Francois Berube was pulled in the second period after allowing four goals on 18 shots, and Anton Forsberg finished with eight saves.The Blackhawks played without captain Jonathan Toews, who is out with an upper-body injury and will be re-evaluated next week. Toews got hurt during Tuesday night’s 5-1 loss to Colorado, which officially eliminated Chicago from playoff contention.Nick Schmaltz and Matthew Highmore scored for Chicago, which has lost seven of eight overall. The Blackhawks have allowed at least five goals in each of their last five games.”It’s something we’re working on. We talk every day about limiting other team’s chances,” Schmaltz said. ”Whether we’re not coming back hard enough or turning pucks over at the blue line, I think we can do a better job of that.”Schmaltz picked up his 21st of the season when he got a piece of Brent Seabrook’s big slap shot from the right circle at 8:02 of the first, tying it at 1. The Canucks took over from there.Sedin made it 2-1 when he jumped on a rebound and knocked it by Berube with 2:18 left in the first. It was Sedin’s first goal since Nov. 14 and just his third of the season.”It’s a good feeling, but I put zero thought into not scoring,” Sedin said. ”I felt good for the most part. I mean two goals is not good, but there’s been other guys scoring around me. That’s helped.”Horvat scored on a rush in the second Adrian Kempe Jersey , and Edler chased Berube when he sent a long slap shot under the goaltender’s left arm 9:38 into the period. The veteran defenseman matched his career best with his first two-goal game since 2011 and No. 4 overall.”You need offense from your back end,” coach Travis Green said. ”Nice to see Eddie get a couple goals tonight.”Brent Sutter added his eighth 3:24 into the third, making it 5-1 Vancouver. The Blackhawks got one back when Highmore scored with 3:33 left, but the Canucks were never seriously threatened.”I think we’re doing a lot of good things,” Highmore said. ”It’s just momentary lapses. In this league, if you don’t play a full 60 minutes, teams make you pay.”NOTES: Canucks F Brendan Leipsic departed with an upper-body injury. … Horvat reached 20 goals for the second straight season. ”To get it in back-to-back years, that gives me confidence moving forward,” he said. … Highmore returned to the lineup after he missed the loss to Colorado with an upper-body injury.UP NEXTCanucks: Visit the St. Louis Blues on Friday night.Blackhawks: Visit the New York Islanders on Saturday night.—Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap—