This Day in Canes History: June 20

On this day in Canes history ...

June 20, 2002

Ron Francis wins the Lady Byng Trophy and the King Clancy Trophy at the NHL Awards in Toronto.

Though he didn't capture hockey's ultimate hardware, Hurricanes captain Ron Francis took home a pair of trophies at the 2002 NHL Awards after leading his team to its first-ever appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player "adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability," was Francis' third of his career (1995, 1998). Francis led the Canes in scoring with 77 points and ranked tied for fourth in the NHL in assists (50) in the 2001-02 season. Though he averaged over 20 minutes of ice time each game, the Canes' captain recorded just 18 penalty minutes in 80 games. Francis also reached several historic milestones in 2001-02, passing Ray Bourque for second on the NHL's all-time assist list and scoring his 500th goal to become the fifth player in league history to record 500 goals and 1,000 assists.

Francis became the first player in franchise history to win the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player "who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community." Inspired by his own experiences with his brother, Francis spearheaded the Ron Francis Night Out program. The charitable effort provided a special night for patients at Duke Children's Hospital and their families, a VIP package that included a limousine ride, roses for the parents, gift bags for the children, dinner at the Arena Club Restaurant, suite tickets and a postgame meet-and-greet with Francis.

Additionally, Francis supported the Special Olympics, serving as Chairman of the Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Special Olympics Summer Games, and was on the board of what was then known as the Kids 'N Community Foundation. Francis was also awarded the 2002 NHL Foundation Player Award, recognizing his community service.

June 20, 2017

The Hurricanes unveil new home jerseys for the 2017-18 season, in conjunction with the league's transition to Adidas as the official outfitter of on-ice uniforms.

When the NHL transitioned to the Adidas Adizero uniform system prior to the 2017-18 season, the Hurricanes took the opportunity to tweak their home red sweaters (and, to a much, much lesser extent, the road white sweaters).

The resulting red sweater was a modernized, hybrid version of the original design and the 2013 revamp. Black striping was introduced on the waistline, sleeves and socks, and black accents were added to the gloves. Most notably, the warning flag stripe returned to the waistline in a sublimated tone-on-tone pattern. Elements from the 2013 redesign that remained on the newest iteration of the red jersey included collar laces and the sans serif name and number font.

"I like them. I think they're pretty slick. I think the black adds a lot," said Jaccob Slavin, who Video: Hurricanes unveil new uniforms for 2017-18. "They're a little different, but kind of what the team used to wear. I like the warning symbols on it."

Since then, the Canes have unveiled a refreshed Video: Hurricanes unveil new uniforms for 2017-18 and a completely revamped Video: Hurricanes unveil new uniforms for 2017-18.