NHL playoffs 2019: Hurricanes recruit Ron Rivera to serve as siren sounder

Kirstie Chiappelli

NHL playoffs 2019: Hurricanes recruit Ron Rivera to serve as siren sounder image

The Hurricanes have recruited help from their sister city.

The team announced Thursday, Panthers coach Ron Rivera will serve as the honorary siren sounder ahead of their Game 4 matchup against the Islanders on Friday.

The Panthers previously tweeted their support for the Hurricanes along with a photo of Rivera, who is known for his comical t-shirts.

The Hurricanes have embraced their "bunch of jerks" label since Don Cherry went off on the team in February for their post-game celebrations that became so popular this season.

"These guys to me are jerks," Cherry said at the time. "And I’ll tell you one thing, they better not do this in the playoffs. This is a joke."

Hurricanes captain Justin Williams announced in March that Carolina would end its "Storm Surge" celebrations, acknowledging the stint served its purpose of providing something different to entertain fans while generating attention for the team.

However, he didn't say anything about dumping their new nickname, which also drew attention from the Hornets.

The Hurricanes, making their first postseason appearance since 2009, claimed their lone Stanley Cup championship in 2006.

Carolina holds a 3-0 lead over New York, with a chance to advance to the conference finals by closing out the second-round series Friday at 7 p.m. ET.

Kirstie Chiappelli