The Carolina Hurricanes are absolutely rolling right now through their NHL schedule.
Through their first 15+ games, Carolina is 12-2-2, atop the Metro Division and atop the NHL standings leaderboard with 26 points.
With their 7-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday afternoon, Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov made franchise history.
Pyotr Kochetkov’s 10-0-0 Start is Best in Franchise History
Perhaps a ‘slight’ question mark for the Carolina Hurricanes entering their title defense campaign was whether the team’s depth was good enough at the goalie position.
After letting Freddie Andersen walk out the door in free agency, Carolina decided not to acquire a netminder, and instead trust their internal option in Pyotr Kochetkov.
Well, it’s worked out quite well for the Canes (and Kochetkov), as the 27 y/0 goalie is off to an extremely good start, going 10-0-0 in his first 10 starts, which is the best in franchise history.
It’s a phenomenal start for Kochetkov, and perhaps one that could put him into early Vezina conversations.
There’s still a lot of time to go in the season (obviously), but Kochetkov has earned his playing time thus far, and there’s nothing to suggest that his starts will slow down as the season progresses, unless he endures an injury (which kept him sidelined for much of the 2025-26 season).
Brandon Bussi has also been a solid goalie for the Canes, but Bussi has been a bit shaky in net to start the new year; he will certainly be relied upon in further opportunities.
After the early getaway game on Sunday afternoon, the Canes hit the road for a 2-game swing this week and will look to cement their dominance over more opponents.
Pyotr Kochetkov Makes Carolina Hurricanes History After Jets Game