Tony DeAngelo says he’s a changed man. Canes are giving him a chance to prove it

Tony DeAngelo promises to be a good guy, a good player, a good teammate.

He says he has made mistakes, regrets them and has learned from them. All he wants, he says, is a chance to prove it. Another chance.

The Carolina Hurricanes are giving him that chance. They signed the former New York Rangers defenseman to a one-year, $1 million free-agent contract Wednesday despite his troubled past, despite a fierce backlash from angry Canes fans and skepticism in some NHL circles.

Don Waddell, the Canes’ president and general manager, patiently withstood the media firestorm Wednesday afternoon that he knew would come after the signing. DeAngelo’s past includes suspensions for abusing officials and using a slur against a teammate in junior hockey. He had an “altercation” — his word — with a Rangers teammate last season.

Many Canes fans were upset by the decision to sign him. Several voiced their opinions on DeAngelo, using social media as a personal megaphone, calling up Canes ticket representatives and demanding answers.

“We did our research on who this person is beyond the perception of him,” Waddell said on the media call. “There’s no doubt he has made mistakes. We acknowledge that and more importantly he recognizes that he’s made mistakes, and he knows he’s got to continue to work and grow as a person. We talked to his teammates, coaches, support staff. We have guys who played with him. And everybody who has worked with him, the common thread, the message, was that they support this player. ...

“Did we know there was going to be some people not happy about this? A hundred percent. Did we make sure we checked all our boxes from an organizational standpoint and that we felt comfortable moving forward? A hundred percent. Again, time will tell but we really feel this is headed in a good direction.”

DeAngelo, who also was on the media call, noted that he talked with team owner Tom Dundon. He spoke with Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour several times. He talked with Canes forward Jesper Fast and defenseman Brady Skjei, who once were his teammates on the Rangers.

What convinced the Hurricanes to give him a chance?

“I think as you get older and more mature, I mean a lot of the stuff that has happened in my career stemmed from emotions from being competitive,” DeAngelo said. “There never been any off-ice problems or things like that. It just comes from having a high level of compete for the game and passion for the game.

“I made some mistakes along the way and things I regretted that I’ve tried to improve on. And now I just have to prove it to the Hurricanes. ... I told them I would not let them down and I’m a man of my word.”

There have been some off-ice issues for DeAngelo. His use of social media has created problems, as he used his Twitter account to support former president Donald Trump, criticize the 2020 elections or question the legitimacy of the threat of COVID-19.

Waddell said DeAngelo had been off social media for six to eight months and did not see it being an issue, although he said the Canes would not place restrictions on DeAngelo’s social media use.

“He knows what he can and cannot do,” Waddell said.

More troubling for DeAngelo was his suspension in the Ontario Hockey League as a junior for violating a league rule on abusive language or slurs. He said he was twice suspended for “yelling at a ref” and once for a slur that he said regretted, saying he apologized to the teammate and that they “still are friends today.”

The Canes, despite making an eight-year contract offer, lost defenseman Dougie Hamilton to the New Jersey Devils as NHL free agency began Wednesday. They traded for defenseman Ethan Bear and signed old-pro D-man Ian Cole.

DeAngelo, 25, said he spoke with various teams and at times the conversations ended because of the possible backlash some owners and general manager did not want to face.

But the Canes talked with him, he said. They did their research. He talked with Dundon on Tuesday, again stating his case.

“I told him I was looking for a chance to come in and prove myself and he was willing to give me that chance and I’m very, very appreciative and grateful to him,” DeAngelo said. “I told him on the phone just last night ‘I’m not going to let you down.’”

And Canes fans? They’ll need to be convinced, too.

“I think the fans are going to appreciate my play,” said DeAngelo, a New Jersey native who is listed at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds. “I play hard, I make plays, I’ll stick up for my teammates.

“I think there’s a perception of myself and I think there’s a reality as well. It gets lost a little bit from what you read on social media and stuff. I think once the fans get to see me play and see me around the community, I think they’re going to take a liking to me and I hope they do. That’s my plan.”

DeAngelo recognizes there are Canes fans who are mad, who are threatening to stay away from games because of the signing.

“I would hope they don’t cancel their season tickets,” he said. “There are a lot of great players on the team, it’s a great organization.

“Stick with us, give me a shot and I’m going to make the best for you guys.”