Here’s who the Carolina Hurricanes play in first round of Stanley Cup playoffs
The Carolina Hurricanes have a playoff opponent: the Ottawa Senators.
The Canes, after winning the Metropolitan Division and finishing first in the Eastern Conference, will open the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Senators and host the first two games of the opening round at Lenovo Center.
The dates and times for the playoffs will be announced later by the NHL.
The Senators were locked into the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference on Tuesday when the Boston Bruins won, 4-0, at home against the New Jersey Devils. The Bruins, with the victory, took the first wild-card berth in the East and will face the Buffalo Sabres, the Atlantic Division winner, in the opening round.
The other Eastern series’ will have the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers — the second- and third-place teams in the Metro — going head-to-head, and the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Montreal Canadiens in the Atlantic’s two-vs.-three series.
The Canes (53-22-7) won two of three games against the Senators this season, taking the first two in Raleigh and Ottawa and then dropping the third game in Ottawa.
The Canes closed out the regular season Tuesday with a 2-1 victory against the New York Islanders on Long Island to finish with 113 points. Ottawa (43-27-11) closes out its regular season Wednesday.
“That’s a tough matchup,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Tuesday. “They all are at this time of year moving forward, but that’s one of the best teams in the NHL in my opinion. It’s going to be a huge challenge.”
Hurricanes goalie switcheroo
Goalie Pyotr Kochetkov was to play his first NHL game since surgery in December for lower-body issues, but had to be pulled during the pregame warmup because of a “roster technicality,” the team said.
Brandon Bussi, who started Monday against the Flyers, was back in net again to complete the back-to-back, picking up his 31st win. With Frederik Andersen not available, Thomas Sullivan, who played college hockey for Stony Brook, served as the Canes’ emergency backup goalie.
Kocketkov was assigned late last week to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL on a conditioning stint and played in two games before joining the Hurricanes in New York. The team said he has been activated from Injured Reserve and will be available for the playoffs.
Roster depth
Brind’Amour again rested several regulars Tuesday, allowing two callups from the Wolves — forward Felix Unger Sorum and defenseman Ronan Seeley — to each make their NHL debuts. Unger Sorum earned his first NHL point in the first period, assisting on a goal by Nikolaj Ehlers.
“We pushed so hard all year that we have some wear and tear, and a lot of miles, especially on our top guys,” he said. “It gives them a chance to heal up a little more and obviously a little mental break, as well.”
The Canes will be making their eighth straight playoff appearance under Brind’Amour and have won at least one playoff series in the previous seven. The Canes reached the Eastern Conference final three times — in 2019, losing to the Bruins, and then in 2023 and 2025, losing each year to the Florida Panthers.
Brind’Amour, in recent weeks, has generally downplayed the importance of winning the Eastern Conference but noted Monday, “It says you had a real good year and that you came to play every night. You can’t luck into that.”
This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 9:39 PM with the headline "Here’s who the Carolina Hurricanes play in first round of Stanley Cup playoffs."
