The Canes will open their 2024-25 season at home against Jake Guentzel and the Bolts.
What - Game 1
When - 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 11
Where - Lenovo Center; Raleigh, NC
How to Watch - ESPN+/hulu, Sportsnet+
It's been a long wait, but real stakes hockey is finally back for the Carolina Hurricanes.
After a summer of turnover and uncertainty, the Canes have regrouped and are ready to kick off the 2023-24 season.
The Hurricanes have a few new faces filling out the roster, but the young core is still there and are expected to take another step forward this season.
"We know we have a good team but at the end of the day you have to go prove it," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "What other people think is kind of irrelevant. We know what we're about and I know what I think of the group and what they think and that's really what matters in there. I've heard it. You listen. People think we're going to have a fall off and all this and that, but I think they're underestimating us."
Facing Carolina will the Tampa Bay Lightning who are going to look quite a bit different without longtime captain Steven Stamkos.
There will also be a familiar face in blue as Jake Guentzel is now with the Bolts.
After a deal could not be reached with the scoring winger, Guentzel was dealt to the Lightning where he signed a seven-year deal to replace the outgoing captain.
The two teams were scheduled to play a back-to-back, home-and-home series, but the Saturday game in Tampa was postponed due to the impact of Hurricane Milton.
A makeup date is still to be determined.
Streaks
- Jordan Martinook (1g, 2a) has gotten a point in each of the last three Hurricanes season openers
- Martin Necas and Jesperi Kotkaniemi have gotten an assist in each of the last two season openers.
- Frederik Andersen has started the last three seasons for Carolina and has won all three with a combined save percentage of 0.922.
Milestone Watch
- Dmitry Orlov is one point shy of 300 career NHL points.
- Jesperi Kotkaniemi is one point shy of 100 points as a Carolina Hurricane.
- Jesperi Kotkaniemi is also three assists away from 100 career NHL assists.
- Jesperi Kotkaniemi is also two games shy of 400 career NHL games.
- Sebastian Aho is two games shy of 600 career NHL games.
- Martin Necas is three goals shy of 100 career NHL goals.
Game Notes
- Eric Robinson, William Carrier, Jack Roslovic and Sean Walker will be making their Carolina Hurricanes debut.
- Jackson Blake made the roster out of training camp and the rookie will be hoping to stick with the team.
- The Hurricanes have won their last five season openers dating back to 2019 and haven't lost in regulation to open a season since 2016.
- The Canes went 1-2-0 against the Bolts last season.
Key Matchups
Starting Goalies (2023-24 Stats)
- Frederik Andersen: 13-2-0; 0.932 Sv%; 1.84 GAA
- Andrei Vasilevskiy: 30-20-2; 0.900 Sv%; 2.90 GAA
Leading Scorers (2023-24)
- Goals - Sebastian Aho (36) / Brayden Point (46)
- Points - Sebastian Aho (89) / Nikita Kucherov (144)
Power Play (2023-24)
- Carolina - 26.9% (2nd)
- Tampa - 28.6% (1st)
Penalty Kill (2023-24)
- Carolina - 86.4% (1st)
- Tampa - 83.3% (5th)
Hurricanes Projected Lineup
Jack Roslovic - Sebastian Aho - Seth Jarvis
Andrei Svechnikov - Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Martin Necas
Jordan Martinook - Jordan Staal - William Carrier
Jackson Blake - Jack Drury - Eric Robinson
Jaccob Slavin - Brent Burns
Dmitry Orlov - Jalen Chatfield
Shayne Gostisbehere - Sean Walker
Frederik Andersen
Pyotr Kochetkov
Injuries and Scratches: Brendan Lemieux (undisclosed), Riley Stillman (LBI), Jesper Fast (neck)
Lightning Projected Lineup
Jake Guentzel - Brayden Point - Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel - Anthony Cirelli - Nick Paul
Mitchell Chaffee - Luke Glendening - Zemgus Girgensons
Conor Sheary - Conor Geekie - Cam Atkinson
Victor Hedman - JJ Moser
Ryan McDonagh - Erik Cernak
Emil Lilleberg - Nick Perbix
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Jonas Johansson
Injuries and Scratches: Michael Eyssimont, Darren Raddysh
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