Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour spoke candidly about the NHL‘s preseason and the new schedule. Brind’Amour is not a fan and suggested how the league can appease today’s players and fans.
The 2026-27 season will see the NHL move to an 84 game schedule. As a result of the two additional games, the preseason was shortened to four games over eight days.
Brind’ Amour’s Hurricanes will enter the regular season as the defending Stanley Cup champions. There have been past instances when the defending champions have taken longer to find their form. By shortening the preseason, teams have less time to fine tune their respective strategies and lineups.
Still, Brind’Amour believes the league should abolish the preseason completely and play an 86-game regular season instead.
Carolina Hurricanes Coach Rod Brind’Amour Calls on the NHL to Abolish Preseason
Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour believes it is time for the NHL to abolish the preseason.
The former player-turned-head coach has been a part of multiple eras and seen how the league has changed positively and negatively. One would assume Brind’Amour would like as much time as possible, particularly so his team can find their form again. But that is not the case.
The Hurricanes have played a lot of hockey and are coming off an offseason in which they celebrated their triumph. However, Brind’Amour feels the players are much more in tune with their bodies and that fans deserve to see meaningful games.
“Even back 20 years ago, guys took it serious all summer but its 10 times [more] now. [Players now are] done their season, then they got their strength coach, they got personal this, that, a nutritionist. Everybody’s dialing right in, so they hit the ground running,” Brind’Amour told OverDrive.
He continued:
“The team’s picked. You got 14 guys on one-way up front, you got another nine on the back end,” he said. “I’d sooner go 86 games and zero preseason if that’s the way we’re going because I think guys are in such good shape now. You know, why waste the games on the fans that don’t count? Let’s play the ones for real.”
Brind’Amour Describes Players’ Mentality During Preseason
Brind’Amour also described the players’ mentality during the NHL’s preseason, as they return to the ice. The Hurricanes head coach noted that players are focused immediately and are eager to get the regular season underway.
“Guys just want to play, guys just want to drop the puck and start for real. They don’t like practicing, nobody does. And I got the same group back, so it feels like we just left a little while ago. So, it’s not a lot of teaching. When you got a bunch of new guys, you’re always worried about how they’re figuring things out. We don’t really have that,” Brind’Amour told OverDrive.
“It’s just trying to make sue they get up to speed. One thing we’ve done really well over the years is prepare. Their offseasons have been really special. How hard they work to get ready to go for the next year.”
Hurricanes Coach Rod Brind’Amour Doesn’t Hold Back on NHL’s Preseason