Canes 'Excited, Prepared For Mixed Emotions' On The Eve Of A New Season

RALEIGH, N.C. - Rod Brind'Amour often refers to segments of the season as "a race."

Training camp is a race. There were just three practice days before the unit went into four tune-up battles in six days. Calling it a race is hyperbolic, but it certainly did feel like a race more than ever this year.

Next up, they begin an 84-game race that will run from Tuesday until April 10. Certainly more of a marathon than the 40-yard dash-esque race that took place, there is an understanding of what needs to be done to place in that race. There may be another race that starts in the third week of April, but there is no running that race if the second cannot be run accordingly.

That third race is what it's all about. All 32 teams line up, starting tomorrow, in an attempt to secure their own position in said competition.

Only 16 will qualify, and at the end of it, there can only be one remaining.

The Carolina Hurricanes were that team for the 2025-26 season.

They earned their place standing atop that mountain in June and relished in their position all summer long.

In some ways, they turned the page from that in September at the onset of the team's training camp. It's unofficial, but that was the start of their new year.

They'll continue to be addressed as the defending Stanley Cup Champions tomorrow, but that titleholder carries no weight when it comes to qualifying for the aforementioned third race again.

The necessary work must be put in, and it starts on Tuesday, with a valuable pair of points up for grabs in the standings. They'll have to pry them from the mouth of a salivating opponent who is prepared to show that their finish in last year's race was a one-off and that they plan to be atop the mountain once again, as they were in 2024 and 2025.

And in that lies a massive challenge.

As is customary, the big spotlights and red lasers will be on the ice at Lenovo Center as the opening night roster is announced ahead of puck drop. This year, the players will have an additional step in that process, basking in the lift of their 2026 Stanley Cup Championship banner.

Awe. Applause. Action.

Within a span of just minutes, the team will take one final reflection on their accomplishment, put last year's races behind them, and then line up for the next.

For a veteran-heavy locker room, including a few who have taken part in like festivities before, they know it's a task not to be taken lightly.

"I'm kind of excited to put a bow on it and put it behind us a little bit. It's hard because you're dragging it right to the last minute (with the banner raising). There's a puck drop five minutes later into a new season. It's going to be mixed emotions," Jordan Staal reasoned.

For most of the locker room, this was their favorite summer yet.

Everyone had their day with the Stanley Cup and made some of the best memories of their lives with some of the most important people in their lives.

It was the experience of a lifetime.

But aside from two, the Canes are running it back. It's a nearly identical roster, looking to achieve the same result and create even more of those memories next summer.

"You're going to have all of the memories come flooding back. We had a ring ceremony last night, and videos were being played, and (tomorrow) will probably be emotional. A lot of memories will be in your head," Jordan Martinook transparently offered. "Then, obviously, you're going to see the banner go up, and the lights will come on, and then it's another hockey game and another season opener."

Atypical start time mattering none, over 18,000 will fill Lenovo Center for a 170th consecutive sellout.

For many, it will be their first time inside the upgraded building with the team since their victory at T-Mobile Arena on June 14.

"It'll be exciting. I know the fans will be crazy," Martinook continued. "I think the one thing that didn't really cross our minds is that this is going to be the first time that our fans, in our building, get to see the Cup on the ice. The Cup keepers told us that the other night, and we were like, 'Yeah, you're right.' And they were like, 'You probably want to do something to involve them.' We'll see what we come up with. It's just going to be exciting to have it in the building in front of us."

One last lap with the 34.5-lb. silver mug ahead, then it's time to "turn the page."

"It's going to be hard not to try to enjoy the moment and reminisce a little bit and enjoy having the Cup in front of our fans in our building," Staal added. "At the same time, you know you're stepping into the fire of a big match. It's going to be a challenge, but it's going to be a cool moment. I'm very excited for it."

Perhaps facing their biggest challenge possible right off the bat, there's also an understanding that in order to be the best, you've got to beat the best. And with most of their core still intact from their 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup runs, plus a few additions, the Florida Panthers are a litmus test in game number one.

"Obviously, they're a great team. Last year they were pretty banged up. They're going to be healthy again this year," Sean Walker said. "They brought in some new guys, so, again, you want to play the best teams and need to beat the best teams to win. It'll be good to see how we match up tomorrow. I'm expecting it to be a good matchup."

But, as Brind'Amour often reminds the media, it's more about what his team does than the opposition.

"We feel great. We're pretty much bringing back the same full squad. It's pretty much rinse and repeat," Walker continued. "We know what style of hockey works for us and how we need to play. Tomorrow, everybody's on the same page. We'll work hard and hopefully start the season the way we want."

There's also a sense of eagerness to just get the new race underway.

"You train all summer and get excited for it. It's go time now," two-time Stanley Cup Champion Will Carrier said with a smile. "We're really looking forward to it. It starts a long journey. It's a mountain to climb, and it starts with day one."

Should Monday's practice be any indication of what the team plans to utilize for their first dance, the lineup will be mostly familiar faces. Nic Deslauriers would bring a sense of heaviness against a tough team, and Charles Alexis Legault could be in line for his 13th NHL game.

If Legault does indeed get the nod, it's just the latest accomplishment in what's been three years of upward trajectory.

A fifth-round selection in the 2023 draft, the 6-foot-4, 220 lbs. horse made his NHL debut in October of last season and appeared in nine games before hand surgery put him on the sidelines for over four months. Working his way back into the lineup for the final few games of the season, he then played a key role in helping Carolina's AHL partner, the Chicago Wolves, make a Calder Cup Final appearance.

"He's solid. A big body who can skate well and make hard plays," Walker, a fellow right-handed shot, described. "He's been around long enough now and played enough games that he knows what's expected out of us on D back there. From when he was playing last year, you saw that he fits in pretty well. Every shift, he battles hard and makes it difficult on other guys."

Keeping a business-like demeanor just one day after what would normally be celebratory news, Legault was proud of the work that's got him to this point, but knows the harder battles are still ahead.

"I think you just get more comfortable with the system every year," the 23-year-old said. "You understand more of what they want out of you, and I think I understand that better now. There's still a lot of work to do, so I'm gonna keep working on that."

Potentially working alongside Shayne Gostisbehere, who had 50 points in 55 games last season, there's not only the ideal balance of a left-handed shot working in tandem with a righty, but also the yin and yang in their strong suits.

"I think he's a pretty offensive guy and I'm a pretty defensive guy, so I think I could bring a good balance to that. Obviously, he's a super skilled player, so [I'll] give him the puck and let him do his thing," Legault closed with a laugh.

To bring things full circle, the proverbial hay is in the barn, and just one final sleep stands between what was and what is.

Regardless of who fills the final lineup spots and what formation they go forth in, the challenge is set, and the task is at hand.

"They're a good team. It's a good matchup. We'll know right away where we're at," Carrier finished.

A box office matchup receiving ESPN billing and the eye of the hockey world, it'll be the Canes and Cats in a clash to start the year.

"It's a brand new season. Something happened last season that was really cool, but it's still kind of the same routine of a new season and a new challenge," Staal summarized. "I think the guys understand that we have a long road ahead of us. Game one starts tomorrow."