The Carolina Hurricanes are set to begin their title defense for the 2026-27 NHL season!
The NHL season opens up with the Hurricanes taking on the Florida Panthers in a ‘banner-raising’ ceremony on Tuesday, September 27, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
Before the Panthers game on Tuesday, the Hurricanes revealed their 23-man roster for the Opening Night contest.
Hurricanes Reveal 23-Man Roster for Panthers Game
Here, courtesy of the Carolina Hurricanes X account, is the full Opening Night roster:
The one notable omission from the Hurricanes roster is Seth Jarvis, who begins the season on the injury non-roster list.
Bradley Nadeau and Felix Unger-Sorum are also omitted from the Opening Night roster after having strong fall camps and preseason performances.
Looking quickly at the goaltender group, after Pyotr Kochetkov landed a contract extension over the weekend, it will be him and Cayden Primeau who slot in behind the starting netminder, Brandon Bussi.
The Carolina Hurricanes didn’t make any drastic roster moves during the offseason, so it’s much of the same cast of characters from last year’s Stanley Cup-winning squad.
Hurricanes to Begin Title Defense vs. Panthers
The Carolina Hurricanes had a very memorable run to the Stanley Cup Final earlier this season, and they will open up the new campaign against the Florida Panthers.
The Panthers had won the previous 2 Stanley Cups, but are now the hungry team ahead of the new campaign.
It’s also NHL’s Opening Night, so there are a few other games on the slate to kick off the season on the earliest start date in the league’s history. Hockey in September!
As for the Hurricanes, they wake up this season with a newfound target on their back, with all other 31 NHL teams gunning for the Lord Stanley.
Carolina Hurricanes Announce Opening Night Roster for Panthers Game