Peter Laviolette has little to do with the ACC, really.

But the Carolina Hurricanes head coach knows the difference between Duke and UNC, and between UNC and N.C. State, etc. His team even shares an arena, the RBC Center in Raleigh, with the Wolfpack basketball team. Thanks to the 2006 Stanley Cup, Laviolette also shares a level of accomplishment — champion — with Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams, two college basketball coaches just down the road.

We recently caught up with Laviolette, who will speak Friday morning (7-9:30 at the RBC Center) to the Breakfast Club of the Triangle, and talked with him about being the professional sports headliner in an area saturated with college sports.

DG: What was your impression, if any, of this thing called ACC sports when you first arrived in the Triangle?

Laviolette: I wasn't really a fan (of the ACC) coming in, so I didn't know a lot. I knew there were these big colleges. No matter where you're coming from, you're aware of these big-time universities. But what you don't see from the outside is the passion these people share for their college and the support they give their team.

My biggest impression after being here a while is that once you choose your side, you're very, very loyal to that side. N.C. State people bleed N.C. State. Duke people bleed Duke. UNC people bleed UNC. One of the things that's been unique, and great from our perspective, is that all of them have blended together behind the Hurricanes. When there's a hockey game, everyone is wearing red and white and black, and they're all on the same page. That's been fun to watch.

DG: What has it been like having to share an arena with a college basketball team?

Laviolette: We're sort of used to the idea in the NHL, although usually you're sharing with an NBA team. It is a little bit different for us. To be honest, it doesn't really affect us that much. We sort of live on our side of the world, and they live on their side of the world. There are times where we're here and we see a basketball court (on the RBC Center floor), and there are times they're here and they see a hockey rink.

I think it has worked out well. The colors (red, white and black for both NCSU and the Hurricanes) are good, so it's a good fit there. One thing about having another sports team in your rink is that you can really see the passion and the loyalty when the games are going on. There are a lot of times when (State is) playing a basketball game, and I'm still here in the building. I can hear them out there, and I love the energy they have for their team.

DG: Have you been able to observe Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams and their styles at all? Are there some parallels with what you do? What are some of the principles of coaching that apply across the board?

Laviolette: I'm sure there are things they could teach our team, and maybe there are things we could teach their teams. I think there can be some crossover. Some coaches are very successful even though they've never played the sport. Maybe they became students of the game. Just because you've played a sport doesn't make you a good leader. (Former NHL coach) Pat Burns was a cop, and he won a Stanley Cup. (Krzyzewski and Williams) probably would be good leaders in many areas, not just basketball.

Ultimately, you have to do what fits your skin. It's not like there's only one right way. It wouldn't work for me to try to be Mike Krzyzewski, and it wouldn't work for him to try to be me. It's about what you create as an identity for your team, how you hold your people accountable. It can be an intimidating relationship, but it doesn't have to be. Every situation is different. It can be anything. You just have to believe in something, and you have to get your players to believe in something. Then you have a chance.

DG: Rod Brind'Amour is one Hurricanes player who sort of came out as an N.C. State fan. Do you personally have a favorite school in the state? Do the Hurricanes tell their new players that picking a favorite can be a dangerous thing?

Laviolette: One thing you have to remember is that Rod has been here a long time. Maybe he has some ties at N.C. State, so he can do that. I haven't been here as long, so I'm still learning my way, and I think most of the players are that way, too. We definitely try to stay neutral in our support.

I try to support all the teams, and I try to adapt to the crowd. If I'm at an event where I see everyone with N.C. State (apparel) on, then I'm an N.C. State fan. If I see Duke, then I like Duke. If I see UNC, then it's UNC. One thing I like is that, when we run into our fans, they don't want to talk about their (college) team. They want to talk about the Hurricanes. When it's time for hockey, they can put everything else to the side.

DG: Just out of curiosity, do you know who won the ACC football championship this year?

Laviolette: (Long pause.) Wake? Wake Forest, right? I got it! I want credit for that one.

DG: How does the passion for ACC sports here compare to what you've seen elsewhere?

Laviolette: It rivals anything I've ever seen anywhere. I grew up in the Northeast, like you, and up there it's pro sports first and then maybe college sports second. My earliest sports memories are cheering for the Bruins, and up there it's either the Bruins or one of the other pro teams on the front page. Actually, in the New England area, hockey is probably the biggest college sport, too.

College teams in Boston have to play second fiddle to the Bruins and the Celtics and the Red Sox and the Patriots. Here, it's different. College basketball and college football are two of the top things to go and see. One of the greatest things about last year (during the Stanley Cup run) was seeing that same kind of passion for the Hurricanes. Some said that would never happen, but anyone who saw it knows it did happen, and that's one thing from my time here that I'll never forget.