A special hockey season begins in North Carolina
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Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photo: Dave Reginek/Getty
The Carolina Hurricanes hockey season begins Thursday, kicking off the 20th anniversary of the magical season when the Canes took home their first and only Stanley Cup.
Why it matters: The Canes are the only men's major league sports franchise in North Carolina to ever win a championship.
Between the lines: They're a favorite to make the playoffs again this year. That would make eight straight years, every year under the leadership of head coach Rod Brind'Amour.
- A former player, Brind'Amour captained that championship team.
What they're saying: Brind'Amour tells Axios they've "got a great thing going here" in Raleigh.
- "The environment's been pretty impressive, and the growth of hockey, certainly, around this area has been impressive."
The Canes will mark the anniversary in early December with a couple of special home games.
- The Stanley Cup will be in the building, and so will most of that championship team.
- Also planned — an alumni game on Dec. 8.
Zoom in: But for now, the focus is on this season. And expectations are high.
- Carolina has a deep bench of talent. The team has retained top scorers like Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov.
- And there are exciting new players to watch in defenseman K'Andre Miller and forward Nikolaj Ehlers.
- Goalies Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov are both back, though Kochetkov missed practice Wednesday. Brind'Amour said he was just "nicked up," but they've acquired a new backup, Brandon Bussi.
The intrigue: Last season, Carolina lost 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals to the eventual champion, the Florida Panthers.
- But that lone victory in Game 4 snapped a 15-game losing streak in the Eastern Conference Finals, ending a narrative that was frustrating players and coaches.
- "This game is mental," captain Jordan Staal said at the time. "I mean, it's all about the brain and your focus and the thoughts that can creep in."
What's next: The opening game is Thursday night, Oct. 9, at the Lenovo Center against the New Jersey Devils, whom Carolina beat last year in the first round of the playoffs.
- Puck drop is at 7:30pm. Stream it on ESPN+ or Hulu.