The path to the Carolina Hurricanes’ third Stanley Cup Final appearance began in the World Hockey Association.

The WHA approved a franchise called the New England Whalers for the 1972-73 season. Those Whalers eventually found a new home inside a shopping mall in Hartford, Connecticut, and joined the NHL in 1979-80. Though beloved, the Hartford Whalers never advanced to a conference final before moving to Raleigh, North Carolina in 1997-98.

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It didn’t take long for the Carolina Hurricanes to make their mark. The first Stanley Cup Final appearance came in 2002 with the maiden championship arriving in 2006.

Seven players stand out as the core of what the Hartford Whalers started and the Carolina Hurricanes have built into a Stanley Cup-winning franchise. The true all-timers span both logos. The names cover both eras, from the old green sweaters with the awesome HW-fluke logo to the modern red and black.

This list of all-time ranking of Whalers/Hurricanes takes into account overall impact, longevity and playoff success.

And, no, we’re not counting Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe, who joined the Whalers in the WHA and NHL in his late 40s and early 50s to play with sons Mark and Marty.

Ron Francis

Ron Francis is the connective tissue between the Whalers and Hurricanes eras and the easiest call for the top spot. He broke into the league with Hartford, became the face of the franchise in the 1980s, and then came back to lead Carolina when the team moved south. He served as team captain in 12 different seasons.

The Hockey Hall of Famer piled up points and responsibility in equal measure. He put together five 80-point seasons in Hartford, including 101 in his final season with the Whalers, then transitioned seamlessly into a do-everything leader in Carolina. His holds most records that matters in franchise history, from points (1,175), goals (382) and assists (793) to playoff production.

Eric Staal

Eric Staal was the centerpiece of Carolina’s rise from a relocated afterthought to a Stanley Cup champion in the mid-2000s. Drafted second overall in 2003, he delivered the franchise’s modern offensive peak with his breakout 100-point 2005-06 season. After that, he backed it up with a dominant playoff run in 2006, scoring a postseason-high 28 points.

Staal could do a little bit of everything. He drove play at 5-on-5, ran the power play as a dual scoring and passing threat, and logged the kind of heavy minutes usually reserved for veteran centers. When the Hurricanes needed a big shift or a game-changing goal during that 2006 run, the puck usually found its way to Staal’s stick.

His 12-year run in Raleigh matters too. He wore the C for seven years, took on every top matchup and became the face of the post-Cup era even as the roster churned around him. When fans talk about the identity of the modern Hurricanes, Staal is the first name that comes up.

Rod Brind’Amour

Rod Brind’Amour, now the eighth-year head coach of the Canes, brought a hard-edged professionalism to Carolina as a player. Acquired in a trade from the Philadelphia Flyers, he became the heartbeat of the locker room and the defensive conscience of Carolina’s forward group.

His calling card was two-way dominance. Brind’Amour won multiple Selke Trophies, including in the title year of 2005-06, for his work as the league’s best defensive forward. Plus, he delivered timely offense when the Hurricanes needed it most. Brind’Amour was the captain of the championship team and remained so for the next four years.

Cam Ward

Every franchise list needs a goaltender, and for the Hurricanes, that spot belongs to Cam Ward. As a 22-year-old rookie in 2006, he came out of the bullpen in the first round and never left the crease, backstopping Carolina to the Stanley Cup and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Ward’s postseason that spring is one of the defining runs in franchise history. He steadied the group after a shaky start, stole games when the offense went quiet, and became the last line of defense during the most important spring the team has ever played.

He stayed in Raleigh for over a decade, giving the Hurricanes a consistent presence in net while the roster, coaching staff and front office changed around him.

Glen Wesley

Glen Wesley is the quiet backbone of this list. He was never the flashiest player on the ice, but he was almost always the one blocking a shot, taking a tough matchup, or playing through something that would sideline most players.

Wesley joined the organization in the Hartford days and followed the franchise to North Carolina, anchoring the blue line through the early lean years and into the Cup era. He was instrumental in both of Carolina’s trips to the Stanley Cup Final in 2002 and 2006, logging heavy minutes and handling the kind of defensive assignments that do not show up neatly in a box score.

His number now hangs from the rafters, a nod to a 13-year career with the franchise built on consistency more than highlight reels.

Whalers core around Francis

You cannot talk all-time Whalers without circling back to Francis and the core around him. In the 1980s, Hartford became a regular in the playoff conversation with a group that included Francis, Kevin Dineen, Pat Verbeek and Ray Ferraro.

Francis was the engine, but that core gave Hartford its identity: a skilled, hardworking group that could score and annoy you in equal measure. They gave the Whalers their most sustained run of relevance. In fact, Francis, Dineen and Ferraro authored Hartford’s postseason pinnacle, a surprising sweep of the Quebec Nordiques in the 1986 playoffs.

Sebastian Aho

Sebastian Aho represents the current face of the franchise and the bridge to whatever the Hurricanes become. Drafted in the middle rounds, he has turned into one of the league’s most complete forwards and the offensive driver for a team that has become a fixture near the top of the standings.

Aho’s impact shows up in the standings and in the numbers. He led the current team with 80 points during the regular season and has already produced multiple 30-goal seasons and sits near the top of the franchise leaderboard in playoff points for the modern era. He drives Carolina’s top line, anchors the power play, and is trusted in defensive situations in a way that only true first-line centers are.