Canes' newbies arrive early to skate

It's always an awkward thing for a player: walking into a new locker room, meeting new teammates, settling in with a new team. Many NHL players have experienced it, changing teams through a trade or free agency. Tom Kostopoulos and Andrew Alberts are experiencing it this week for the Canes, participating in the "Camp Brindy" informal workouts at the RecZone. "Everyone here is pretty nice and showing me around, so it makes it a lot easier," said Kostopoulos, a forward who played for the Montreal Canadiens last season and signed a three-year, free-agent contract with the Canes. Kostopoulos knew defensemen Tim Gleason and Joe Corvo from their days together with the L.A. Kings, saying it was "nice to see a couple of familiar faces." He also was greeted by Pete Friesen, the Canes' strength and conditioning director, who was ready to introduce one of his off-ice workouts. "It's good to come in (early) and get to know the team and t...