Preview: January 1 vs. Montreal

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes kick off 2026 on home ice against the Montreal Canadiens.

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When: Thursday, Jan. 1

Puck Drop: 7:00 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: 25-12-3 (51 Points, 1st - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 5-1 Loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 30

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Canadiens Record: 21-12-6 (48 Points, 2nd - Atlantic Division)

Canadiens Last Game: 3-2 Win over the Florida Panthers on Dec. 30

Last Time Out...

• The Canes fell behind early and never recovered on Tuesday, dropping a 5-1 result to the Penguins in Pittsburgh.
• Mark Jankowski scored the lone goal for the team, snapping a 17-game goal drought.
• Frederik Andersen's winless streak moved to eight games, now 0-6-2 dating back to mid-November.

Milestone Men...

• While the lineup remains to be confirmed, tonight's tilt could mark some significant games played plateaus for a pair of Canes.
• Jesperi Kotkaniemi's next game will be the 500th of his career, and should it come this evening, it would be poetic, coming against the club that drafted him third overall in 2018. Through his first 499 games, Kotkaniemi has tallied an even 200 points - 78 goals and 122 assists.
• Shifting to the blue line, K'Andre Miller will log his 400th game the next time he suits up. Miller boasts 146 points to date, four of which have come in 12 games against Montreal.

In Net...

• With Frederik Andersen getting the nod on Tuesday, it is almost a guarantee that the Canes will go back to Brandon Bussi tonight.
• 13-1-1 in his first 15 NHL appearances, he's become the team's ace in net. His 2.08 goals against average currently ranks as the best among all qualified netminders entering Thursday's play.

On The Other Side...

• Montreal closed out 2025 with points in five out of six games (4-1-1), climbing to within three points of the Atlantic Division lead.
• The Habs are led by captain Nick Suzuki, who has posted four points in his last three games, as well as sniper Cole Caufield, who has points in three straight and has scored twice in the same span.
• Standout rookie Ivan Demidov, a former KHL teammate of Canes defenseman Alexander Nikishin, is among the favorites for the Calder Trophy and enters tonight's contest on a four-game point streak, including three multi-point performances.

Injury Updates...

• Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury. He is considered day-to-day.
• Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is set to undergo hip surgery and was declared "probably out for the year" by Rod Brind'Amour on Dec. 29.
• Defenseman Jaccob Slavin suffered an upper-body injury on Dec. 19 in Florida. He was labeled as "week-to-week" and placed on injured reserve on Dec. 22.
• Forward Seth Jarvis was also injured during overtime on Dec. 19, suffering an upper-body injury. He was placed on IR on Dec. 20 and labeled as "week-to-week" on Dec. 22.
• Defenseman Charles Alexis Legault suffered a cut to his hand via a skate blade on Nov. 9 and underwent surgery to repair lacerated tendons on Nov. 10. He is expected to miss three to four months.

What Are We Wearing?

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

What's Next After This Game?

• The Canes are scheduled to practice on Friday. They'll start another back-to-back set on Saturday, taking on the Avalanche at home before flying to New Jersey for a Sunday evening battle.
• Next Home Game: Saturday, Jan. 3 vs. Colorado | Whalers Night | 7:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO | Tickets | Parking