Preview: January 3 vs. Colorado

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes will look to right the ship against the NHL's top team on Saturday, as they host the Colorado Avalanche at Lenovo Center.

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When: Saturday, Jan. 3

Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. ET

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Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

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Canes Record: 25-12-3 (51 Points, 1st - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 7-5 Loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 1

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Avalanche Record: 30-2-7 (67 Points, 1st - Central Division)

Avalanche Last Game: 6-1 Win over the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 31

Last Time Out...

• Puck management issues plagued the Canes in a 7-5 loss to the Canadiens on Thursday at Lenovo Center.
• Sebastian Aho (2G, 3A) had his second career five-point night in the defeat.
• Brandon Bussi suffered his first loss at Lenovo Center, moving to 13-2-1 in his first 16 NHL appearances.

Turning Back The Clock...

• As they did in their first meeting on Oct. 23, both the Hurricanes and Avalanche will don retro uniforms for tonight's tilt - Carolina in its white Whalers set, Colorado in its new Nordiques look.
• It's the second of three times the Hurricanes will wear Whalers uniforms this season, with the third and final outing coming later this month on Jan. 29 against Utah for Whalers Night presented by Sandbagger.

Welcome Back...

• Former Hurricanes Brent Burns, Jack Drury, and Martin Necas all make their return to Raleigh for the first time since joining the Avalanche.
• The 40-year-old Burns averages 19:26 per game and sits third on the blue line with 20 points.
• Drury leads the team's centers with a 57.1% win rate in faceoffs.
• Necas enters Saturday's play ranked seventh among all NHL skaters with 51 points.

In Net...

• Beginning a back-to-back set tonight, the Canes will either go back to Brandon Bussi, or start the weekend with Frederik Andersen between the pipes.
• Bussi had a tough night on Thursday, allowing six goals on 21 shots in a loss to Montreal.
• Andersen has struggled since mid-November, going 0-6-2 in his last eight appearances.

On The Other Side...

• Not only are the Avs atop the NHL's standings, but they've got a 10-point gap over the next closest team. Scary good to start the 2025-26 season, the team has just two regulation losses in 39 games.
• Led by Nathan MacKinnon, who co-leads the league in scoring with 70 points (tied with Connor McDavid), Jared Bednar's group is the only team in the league averaging better than four goals per game (4.05).
• Offense well taken care of, the tandem of Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood has been perhaps the best goaltending duo in the NHL. Wedgewood has played 24 games and posted an impressive .919 save percentage, a number only bested by Blackwood (.924) and Minnesota's Jesper Wellstedt (.928).

Injury Updates...

• Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury. He practiced with the team on Jan. 2 and 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. He returned to practice on Jan. 1 in a no-contact sweater.
• 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 WHALERS 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 right back in action on Sunday in Newark, taking on the Devils at 7 p.m.
• Next Game: Sunday, Jan. 4 @ New Jersey | 7 p.m. ET | FDSNSO
• Next Home Game: Tuesday, Jan. 6 vs. Dallas | Whalers Night | 7:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO | Tickets | Parking