Preview: April 9 at Chicago

CHICAGO - The Carolina Hurricanes start a regular-season-ending four-game road trip in the Windy City on Thursday, taking on the Chicago Blackhawks.

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When: Thursday, April 9

Puck Drop: 8:30 p.m. ET

Watch: FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network App | Learn More

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

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Canes Record: 50-22-6 (106 Points, 1st - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 6-5 Win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, April 7

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Blackhawks Record: 28-36-14 (70 Points, 8th - Central Division)

Blackhawks Last Game: 3-2 Loss to the San Jose Sharks on Monday, April 6

Last Time Out...

• Jaccob Slavin's first goal of the season served as the overtime winner on Tuesday, allowing the Canes to hold off the Bruins, 6-5.
• Andrei Svechnikov joined the 30-goal club for the second time in his career, and Logan Stankoven scored for the fifth time in five games.
• Brandon Bussi won a fifth straight start, giving him 30 victories in his first NHL season.

Season Series vs. CHI...

• Jan. 24: Joel Nystrom recorded his first NHL goal, and Alexander Nikishin had his first NHL fight, but the Canes fell to the Blackhawks in a shootout, 4-3.

Right Place, Right Time...

• Owning the luxury of having their division clinched and playing in the same city as their American Hockey League affiliate, the Canes recalled four players from the Chicago Wolves last night.
• Skyler Brind'Amour, Charles Alexis Legault, Bradly Nadeau, and Josiah Slavin are expected to be in the lineup tonight, allowing several key players to heal undisclosed injuries closer to 100%.
• For Slavin, Jaccob's younger brother, it will mark his regular-season Hurricanes debut. Captain of the Wolves, the 27-year-old was drafted by the Blackhawks in 2018 and played 15 games with the team during the 2021-22 season.
• Brind'Amour, Rod's son, made his NHL debut last April and scored his first goal in his second game. His 16 goals with Chicago (AHL) this season sit third on the team, behind only Nadeau and the injured Justin Robidas.
• Legault returns to the big club at full health after recovering from hand surgery in November. Resuming game action in mid-February, the 2023 fifth-round draft pick has played in 20 games since returning. He made his NHL debut earlier this season and recorded his first goal on Nov. 8.
• Nadeau, has had two short stints with the Canes already this season. Scoring his first NHL goal on Oct. 30, the 20-year-old has once again been one of the best goal-scorers in the AHL this season. Despite missing 15 games this season due to injuries and recalls, his 25 goals with Chicago rank tied for 15th among all league skaters.

In Net...

• With Brandon Bussi having played on Tuesday in Raleigh, should the Canes continue their rotation between the pipes, Frederik Andersen would be in line to start tonight.
• Eyeing his 15th win of the season, Andersen is 7-4 since returning from the Winter Olympics.
• Conversely, should the team elect to go back to Bussi, he's won five straight starts and became the first netminder to win 30 games for the team since Andersen did in his first season with the club (2021-22; 35).

On The Other Side...

• Eliminated from playoff contention already, the Blackhawks have shifted their focus to welcoming some young talent into the fold, with a handful of highly-touted prospects making their debut in recent weeks.
• Anton Frondell (3rd overall, 2025) and Sascha Boisvert (18th overall, 2024) are among the highlights, coming over from Sweden and the NCAA, respectively, and each scored his first career goal in the team's last four games.
• Frondell and Boisvert join a roster already stacked with U22 talent like Connor Bedard, who boasts a career-high 30 goals and 72 points this season, as well as Frank Nazar, who is up 15 points from his rookie campaign in 2024-25. Not to mention names like Oliver Moore, Artyom Levshunov, and others, who will also look to herald a bright future in the Second City.

Injury Updates...

• Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (hip surgery) has been out since Dec. 20. He resumed skating with teammates on Apr. 4.

What Are We Wearing?

• The Canes will wear their WHITE uniforms for the contest. To view the team's full 2025-26 uniform schedule, click here.

What's Next After This Game?

• The Canes will fly to Utah post-game and are scheduled to practice on Friday. They'll return to game action on Saturday against the Mammoth.
• Next Game: Saturday, April 11 at Utah | 5:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO
• Next Home Game: Round 1, Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs | TIME TBD | TV TBD | Tickets | Parking