Carolina’s banner will be in the rafters before the Hurricanes face a familiar measuring stick. The defending Stanley Cup champions open the NHL season against the Florida Panthers on Sept. 29 at 5 p.m. ET, beginning ESPN’s opening-night tripleheader and putting two Eastern Conference heavyweights on the same ice immediately.
The Hurricanes return with nearly all of the group that captured the 2026 Cup, although Frederik Andersen is gone after signing with Edmonton. Carolina still has Brandon Bussi, who won the final three games of the Cup Final against Vegas, alongside Pyotr Kochetkov in the crease.
Florida arrives healthier than the club that missed last season’s playoffs after an injury-riddled campaign, ending a run that included three straight trips to the Cup Final and championships over Edmonton in 2024 and 2025. Brad Marchand is the notable exception; the forward is expected to miss the start of the season with an undisclosed injury.
The Panthers also made one of the summer’s biggest additions, acquiring Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators. He will join his older brother, Matthew Tkachuk, on a Florida roster that still carries much of its recent championship core.
After the horn
There will be no shortage of history on opening night. Carolina needed eight years to reach the top of the League, then finished the job by wearing down the Western Conference champion Golden Knights in the Final. Florida’s recent standard is just as imposing: three consecutive Final appearances, two Cup wins and a roster built to get back into the fight.
Ray Ferraro expects the first matchup to have an edge beyond the calendar. He said both clubs sit among the NHL’s best and neither side will want to surrender ground in a matchup that could matter in an Eastern Conference race running well into spring.
Mark Messier pointed to Florida’s mileage after three deep playoff runs, saying the Panthers appeared to run out of steam last season. He praised their consistency, culture and resolve through that stretch, but identified the crease as the biggest question entering this campaign.
That question centers on Jacob Markstrom. Florida obtained the goaltender from the New Jersey Devils after Sergei Bobrovsky left to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ferraro said Bobrovsky’s value was not solely in spectacular save percentage numbers; at his best, he supplied dependable goaltending behind a strong team.
Markstrom will not necessarily face the same volume or quality of chances he saw elsewhere, but Florida needs a steadier performance from him than he has delivered over the past few seasons. The Panthers’ defensive structure should ease some of the burden, though the new starter remains a central storyline.
Carolina’s own goaltending transition comes after Andersen’s departure, but Bussi and Kochetkov give the champions internal options. The Hurricanes’ larger challenge is the one every title holder faces: repeating.
Ferraro noted how difficult it is to win back-to-back championships, even with Florida having accomplished it recently. A Cup run requires more than being the League’s strongest club; health, timing and breaks all have to fall correctly. He credited both Carolina and Florida for constructing rosters around an established identity rather than simply collecting talent.
Messier said the start of a new season still brings the same anticipation he felt as a player. Young teams are trying to take the next step, veteran groups are attempting to stay in contention, and player movement has reshaped several contenders.
ESPN’s 2026-27 package includes 100 exclusive games across its networks, with the Sept. 29 slate serving as the opening statement.
Next puck drop
- Sept. 29, 5 p.m. ET: Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes — Carolina raises its 2026 Stanley Cup banner.
- Sept. 29, 8 p.m. ET: New York Rangers at Boston Bruins.
- Sept. 29, 10:30 p.m. ET: Chicago Blackhawks at Vegas Golden Knights — ESPN2 and TVAS2.
