January 28 will be Ron Francis Night

This is what we've been waiting for. This will surely be the biggest crowd we've had since the Stanley Cup Finals in '02.
The Canes have announced that they will send the #10 sweater into the rafters on January 28, 2006 in a ceremony before our matchup with the Atlanta Thrashers. There is some great debate on the Canes boards about how many Hurricanes sweaters have been retired. Some say this will be the first, while others (myself included) say this will be the third. If you count the league-wide retirement of the #99 sweater, this will be the fourth, but I don't count that.
The Whalers retired the #9 sweater for Gordie Howe, who only played briefly with them. The Canes don't have a #9 in the rafters, but they are honoring the retirement by not issuing the number.
The #3 sweater was unofficially retired after Steve Chaisson died in a single-car accident following our loss to Boston in the opening round of the 1999 playoffs. The organization has made it clear that the number 3 will not be issued anymore, but they don't wish to have a number retirement ceremony due to the touchy nature of Chaisson's death.

Anyway, we'll all be there with tears in our eyes when the big 10 goes sailing up to the ceiling. I consider myself very lucky to have had the privilege of seeing him play so many times.