After 11 days of rest, the Carolina Hurricanes return to the ice Thursday to battle the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Why it matters: The Canes have another good shot at the Stanley Cup this season, but hockey fans are debating whether the downtime will affect the team's rhythm.

The intrigue: Over 100 years have passed since another NHL team has rested so long between playoff series, per The Athletic.

• Canes players have had enough free time to attend N.C. Courage games, play golf and run virtual 5K races. Two welcomed newborns, becoming fathers for the first time.

By the numbers: Since the playoffs began April 18, Carolina has only played eight games.

• The Canadiens, by contrast, have played 14. Knocking out the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres took them to overtime in Game 7 both series. They'll have just two days off.

What they're saying: Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said in a press conference that it wasn't "ideal to have this much time off," but that the shorter series have helped limit players' bumps and bruises.

• Brind'Amour also said that it's "OK to kind of get away from it a little bit," especially mentally, per The News & Observer.
• So did team captain Jordan Staal. "I don't know if people realize how stressed we can be, even on an off day. We're always thinking about the game," Staal said.
• Defenseman K'Andre Miller, one of the new dads, said "any time you can get away from the rink and put up your legs ... is nice and is a good reset."

What we're watching: Some of the team's stars played through the only break in the NHL's grinding 82-game regular season — the Olympics in February.

• Two of those medal winners, Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho, have yet to break out offensively in the playoffs, NHL.com writes.
• Team reporter Walt Ruff wrote that practices have been limited post-Olympics.

What's next: The puck drops at 8pm Thursday in Raleigh.

The Durham city manager's proposed budget would keep GoDurham buses fare-free for at least another year.

• It's one of several city council priorities the budget continues without raising the property tax rate.

Why it matters: Durham is one of the last fare-free transit systems in North Carolina, with city leaders using a mixture of federal COVID-relief funds and local transit money to keep it free for riders.

• Chapel Hill Transit is free because of a funding partnership with UNC-Chapel Hill.

Zoom in: Several Durham City Council members and local advocates have made preserving free bus service a priority — both as a benefit for low-income residents and as a way to encourage car-free travel.

State of play: But Durham City Manager Bo Ferguson warned that conversations about the program's long-term sustainability are needed.

• Staying fare-free is possible due to a one-time contribution of $8.2 million from Durham County and GoTriangle, he said.
• "The long-term sustainability of fare-free transit will require serious discussions among all of the funding partners, and we look forward to that work in the coming year," he told the Durham City Council.

⚽️ For the first time in N.C. Courage history, the soccer team sold out two games in a row at its 10,000-seat stadium in Cary. (N.C. Courage)

⚡️ Dominion Energy, which serves parts of northeastern North Carolina, is proposing a merger with NextEra. The combined company would be the largest energy provider in the country. (Axios)

🎸 North Carolina-born band Future Islands sat down with WUNC to chat its tour of the state for its 20th anniversary. (WUNC)

🎓 In a rare move, UNC's Board of Trustees voted against hiring and granting tenure to a women's studies professor who had gone through the university's standard hiring process. (The Assembly)

A grand jury indicted Cassandra Stokes, the former chair of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People's Political Action Committee, on counts of embezzlement. (News & Observer)

Tick bites are sending a record rate of people to the ER for this time of year, according to new CDC data.

Why it matters: "Tick season is here and these tiny biters can make you seriously sick," says Alison Hinckley, epidemiologist with the CDC, in a statement.

• An estimated 31 million Americans are bitten by a tick each year, and roughly 476,000 are treated for Lyme disease, per the CDC.

By the numbers: April saw 104 ER visits for tick bites per 100,000 total ER visits — up from 68 in April 2025, according to preliminary data from the CDC's Tick Bite Tracker.

• In the Southeast, which includes North Carolina, there were 50 ER visits for tick bites per 100,000 total ER visits, up from 39 last April and the highest for this time of year since 2017.

Between the lines: Lyme is the most common tick-borne illness in the U.S., but ticks also spread other serious diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis and alpha-gal syndrome.

Go deeper into the numbers

👋 Zachery here. I feel compelled to sing the praises of a sandwich I have been thinking about for several weeks.

• That would be the pork belly banh mi at 93 Banh Mi & Tea in Durham.

Zoom in: Opened last year in the New Hope Commons shopping center, 93 Banh Mi's menu does not stray far from its name.

• Yes, the restaurant has a large tea and coffee menu as well as a beef stew and egg rolls.

But at its core are seven variations of the classic Vietnamese banh mi, ranging from the traditional pâté and pork to a breakfast version topped with eggs.

• The baguettes are made in-house every morning, and the freshness can be felt in their soft chewiness.

What we got: The crispy pork belly banh mi ($9.99), which has the magic quality of being tender and crunchy at the same time.

• The savory pork and buttery mayo play perfectly with the fresh pickles, cucumbers, jalapeños and cilantro.
• Pair it with a lychee tea or an iced Vietnamese-style coffee to add a dose of jet fuel to your day.

📍 Location: 5410 New Hope Commons Dr., Durham