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Hurricanes to Raise Stanley Cup Banner Before September 29 Opener Against Panthers
The Carolina Hurricanes will raise their second championship banner on September 29 before hosting the Florida Panthers. The game opens an 84-game NHL regular season that expands each team's schedule by two divisional contests.
Jul 16, 8:23 AM·1m read1 source
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The Carolina Hurricanes will raise their second Stanley Cup championship banner on September 29 before hosting the Florida Panthers at 5 p.m. ET. The matchup opens the NHL's 2026-27 regular season and forms part of an opening-night tripleheader broadcast on ESPN.
The league expanded the schedule to 84 games per team, adding two extra divisional games for each club. The change produces 1,344 total regular-season games, the most in NHL history, and marks the first 84-game season since 1993-94. The Montreal Canadiens will host the Toronto Maple Leafs on the same day.
The New York Rangers host the Boston Bruins at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, and the Chicago Blackhawks visit the Vegas Golden Knights at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The full 2026-27 schedule is scheduled for release on July 16.
The Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Finals to claim the title. It is their first championship since 2006. The September 29 opener pits the most recent champions against the winners of the previous two seasons.
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