RALEIGH — Every new NHL season brings renewed hope — long-suffering fan bases wonder if their team will finally return to the playoffs, middling franchises expect their young stars and hot-shot prospect to elevate them into the league’s upper echelon, and Stanley Cup contenders wonder if this is finally the year they break through.
The Carolina Hurricanes reside firmly in the final group. Since Rod Brind’Amour became head coach in 2018, the franchise he led as a player to its only championship in 2006 has reached the playoffs seven consecutive years. That included three trips to the Eastern Conference final as one of four teams left standing.
Carolina, however, has won just one of 13 conference final games, falling short of a return to the Stanley Cup final and the top of the NHL.
The Hurricanes again bolstered their lineup to better their chances. Enter speedy winger Nikolaj Ehlers and rangy defenseman K’Andre Miller, two in-their-prime talents who seem like perfect fits for Carolina’s aggressive style of play.
There’s also Alexander Nikishin, the do-everything defenseman who dominated Russia’s KHL for several seasons while the Hurricanes eagerly awaited his arrival in North America. He played in four playoff games last season, but this year will be a true trial by fire for the bruising defender who is as likely to score a goal as he is to punish an opponent caught with his head down.
But the playoffs are half a year away, and much will be learned over 82 games to give a hint as to whether Carolina has what it takes to reach the next level come spring.
Here are dates to watch as the 2025-26 NHL season gets underway.
Oct. 9: Home vs. New Jersey
The Hurricanes open their season with two home games before hitting the road for a six-game road trip that coincides with the arrival of the nearby North Carolina State Fair. Game 1 could set an early tone.
Carolina outclassed the Devils in the first round of last year’s playoffs, ending the Metropolitan Division rival’s season in five games. New Jersey, however, was without superstar Jack Hughes during that series, and the Devils’ emerging young defense is the envy of many teams.
New Jersey added goalie Jacob Markstrom before last season, and it helped — the Devils allowed the fewest goals of any team in the division. But they also struggled to score, totaling 22 fewer goals than the year before. Can New Jersey score while still keeping the puck out of its own net?
Carolina could make an early statement on opening night that New Jersey is still a step below the team that has knocked them out of the postseason two of the last three seasons.
Jan. 6: Home vs. Dallas
Plenty of fans are still sour about Mikko Rantanen’s quick exit from the Triangle last spring. The whirlwind — which started with Carolina sending a package centered around Martin Necas to Colorado for the big Finnish winger and ended with him being shipped out to Dallas — landed the Hurricanes Logan Stankoven and a handful of draft picks, giving them the ammunition to trade for Miller.
Carolina will get its first crack at the Stars in the final game of the State Fair trip on Oct. 25 in Dallas, but Rantanen’s return to Raleigh figures to be loaded with animosity. Dallas is also one of a handful of teams considered Stanley Cup favorites, so it will be a heavyweight tilt with bad feelings as an undertone.
Dec. 19, Dec. 23: Two games vs. Florida
The two-time defending champion Panthers face a stiff challenge trying to threepeat: Florida will likely have to do it without captain Aleksander Barkov. The star center injured his knee in training camp and may be lost for the season, and Florida will also begin the year without superstar pest Matthew Tkachuk.
The Hurricanes were ousted in five games by the Panthers in the conference final last year, but Florida loves to send messages and will surely have one to give during these two games in five days, one in each city. The teams meet one more time, Jan. 16 in Raleigh — and it won’t be surprising if they meet in the playoffs again, whether Barkov can return or not.
Feb. 11-22: Olympic tournament
Coming off last year’s scintillating 4 Nations Face-Off, international hockey hits its peak with a return to the Winter Games. The NHL hasn’t been in the Olympics since 2014, and the stakes are raised from the successful best-on-best tournament last year as teams from across the world — sorry Russia, you’re still on the outs — meet in Italy.
The Hurricanes will be Denmark Central with the nation’s top two players, Ehlers and goalie Frederik Andersen, playing together in the NHL and for their country. Sebastian Aho will be crucial to Finland, which will be without Barkov, and Jaccob Slavin will attempt to again prove he’s among hockey’s best defensemen. Seth Jarvis, a surprise addition to Team Canada last year, could have a bigger role in Milan and Cortina.
