The purpose came before the lights did. Sneakers scraping against the pavement outside. The sound of a basketball dribbling in a driveway down the street. The distant sound of laughter carried across the stretch of Nickens Court while the California burned bright across Orangevale. For Kai Wallin, childhood did not happen inside one house. Years of growth, laughter and love unfolded across an entire court. Family all connected by the same stretch of pavement.

All it took to change the trajectory of Logan Cuvo’s journey was a singular phone call. The call taken while driving home was when the conversation that would become the most insightful for him began. The chapter he had spent nearly his entire life chasing, hockey, not in the way most would think, was coming to an end. For years, the game had defined every aspect of Cuvo’s life, down to the routine, the goals and the version of himself he envisioned becoming. Now he was heading home

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New Jersey Devils in a 5-2 win on Saturday evening at the Lenovo Center.