SUNRISE, Fla. – The Florida Panthers will kick off their four-game preseason when they host the Carolina Hurricanes at Amerant Bank Arena on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.
Hitting the ice in Sunrise for the first time since Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, Aleksander Barkov, who missed all last season with an injury, will be in the lineup.
In his return, he’ll play with Sam Reinahrt and major offseason addition Brady Tkachuk.
“I don’t really coach Barky, I just kind of cheer,” head coach Paul Maurice said of the team's superstar captain. “What is important is that he’s got a new left winger. As Sam Reinhart will tell you, he’s got two new linemates. It’s important that he gets in, but he’s got a World Championship under his belt.”
For more information on tonight’s game, continue below.
KEEP AN EYE ON
Tkachuk Brothers: Matthew and Brady Tkachuk will take the ice for the first time as teammates in the NHL against the Hurricanes. After spending eight seasons with the Ottawa Senators, Brady was acquired by Florida in a blockbuster trade in June. In 60 games with the Senators last season, the power forward produced 59 points (22G, 37A). Making history, Matthew and Brady are the sixth pair of brothers to play for the Panthers.
Markstrom’s Back: Acquired in an offseason trade with the New Jersey Devils, Jacob Markstrom will take the ice in a Panthers sweater in Sunrise for the first time since being traded to the Vancouver Canucks during the 2013-14 season. Since the 2019-20 season, Markstrom ranks in the top five among NHL goaltenders in games played (T-4: 349), time on ice (4: 20424:38) and shutouts (T-5: 22).
Veteran Pair: With over 2,000 combined games of NHL experience between them, the new-look defensive pair of Dmitry Kulikov and Radko Gudas should pack a punch for the Panthers. Helping build the culture in South Florida, Gudas previously manned the blue line for Florida from 2020 through 2023. After spending the past three seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, he rejoined the Panthers as a free agent this summer on a six-year deal. Gudas’ 917 hits rank third in franchise history, while Kulikov sits first with 1,016.
FIVE KEY STATS
- Sam Reinhart led the Panthers with five points (1G, 4A) in three games against the Hurricanes in 2025-26.
- The Panthers came out on top in both of their preseason matchups with the Hurricanes last season, winning by a combined score of 8-5.
- The Panthers have eliminated the Hurricanes in the postseason in two of the past four seasons.
- Sam Bennett ranked second on the Panthers in scoring with a career-high 58 points (26G, 32A) in 2025-26.
- Rookie Jack Devine registered 43 points (18G, 25A) in 63 AHL games in 2025-26.
THEY SAID IT
“I understand that these guys do need to touch the puck a little bit. They’re going to start working on some of that chemistry. I probably won’t yell at anybody. I’ll just talk to people.” – Paul Maurice on his approach to tonight’s preseason opener
“Playing with him the first three practices, it seems like chemistry is right away there. Us, being more experienced players, we’re able to read off each other a lot better. He’s a really easy guy to play with.” – Dmitry Kulikov on playing with Radko Gudas
“It’s super special, especially representing the Panthers. You obviously want to win every night.” – rookie Jack Devine on the thrill of playing in an NHL arena
OPPOSITION NOTES
- Unlike the Panthers, the Hurricanes will keep most of their big guns at home. Of the players the defending Stanley Cup champions are bringing to Sunrise, Mike Reilly (460 GP) and Jesperi Kotkaniemi (518 GP) look to be the most experienced.
- Six Hurricanes skaters will play in their first-ever NHL exhibition with Carolina: Charlie Cerrato, Filip Ekberg, Noel Fransen, Zachary Lansard, Viktor Neuchev and Juuso Valimaki.
- Pyotr Kochetkov and Zach Sawchenko will man the crease for the Hurricanes. Sawchenko has seven games of NHL experience under his belt, while Kochetkov has appeared in 125 games over his first five seasons in the NHL.
- For more information on Carolina’s roster, click HERE.
PROJECTED LINEUP
Forwards
Brady Tkachuk – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sandis Vilmanis
Cole Reinhardt – Cole Schwindt – Jack Devine
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Matvei Shuravin – Seth Jones
Dmitry Kulikov – Radko Gudas
Goaltenders
Jacob Markstrom
Cooper Black
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Sunday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Amerant Bank Arena – Sunrise, FL
TV & Streaming: WSFL, WHDT, WFTX, PanthersPlus.TV
Radio: N/A
Tickets: Click Here
EXTRA INFO
- Fans within the Panthers’ broadcast territory can stream tonight’s game for free by making an account at PanthersPlus.tv.
- There will be a combined 50/50 Raffle for both of Florida’s preseason games. The winner will be selected on Sept. 26. To purchase tickets, click HERE.
