RALEIGH — Even in the nerd culture and analytics revolution that have rippled throughout sports, Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky stands out with few, if any, peers, and he now has a championship within reach.
Tulsky’s upstart journey into hockey management bears some similarity to other outsiders who have entered sports, as he began writing 15 years ago for a Flyers fan blog, Broad Street Hockey, and successfully parlayed his insights into consulting work in the league, and ultimately, a full-time role with the Hurricanes that began his ascendancy in the organization.
His time before hockey, however, is what particularly stands out—and still informs the highly disciplined and analytical approach of one of the NHL’s most successful franchises. Tulsky earned a dual degree in chemistry and physics from Harvard, and then earned a doctorate in chemistry from Cal. After that, Tulsky conducted his postdoctoral study at the Naval Research Laboratory, worked for a decade in nanotechnology in Silicon Valley, holds more than two dozen scientific patents, and turned down a potential role with Apple to go full-time into hockey.
In short, Tulsky is a disruptor in what is still in many ways a tradition-bound sport. As the Hurricanes begin the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday against the Golden Knights, the scientist-turned-executive is nearing his first title.
