When teams embark on a new season, the hope is that their season opener will be a positive sign of things to come, setting the tone for the next 81 games. The same goes for the players on an individual level. A good first game could set in motion a breakout campaign and a potential payday down the line or establish them as one of the new faces of the team.
Of course, there's a chance it's just a flash in the pan, but it doesn't feel that way at the time. With Thursday's opener looming, here are some of the best performances we've seen from Carolina Hurricanes in Game #1. While not every performance led to long-term success for the team, it had everyone talking that night.
2000-01: Sami Kapanen & Shane Willis
For our first entry, it's a 2-for-1. While it wasn't Shane Willis' first game in the NHL, it was the first time he'd established himself in the Hurricanes' lineup. Playing next to Sami Kapanen, the pair did it all for the Hurricanes against the Capitals to open the 2000-01 season. Though the game ended in a 3-3 tie in D.C., it was the start of a good rookie campaign for Willis,
Kapanen started the scoring early in the first period, burying a pass from Kevin Hatcher as Willis earned the secondary helper. Willis joined the fun with a PPG early in the second, set up by Kapanen. After Washington tied it with two goals on the power play, Kapanen notched his second goal, scoring midway through the third, with Willis, again, getting an assist to complete three-point games for each.
2001-02: Arturs Irbe
As the team's earliest stalwart between the pipes, Arturs Irbe was called upon for several season-opening starts. He opened the 1999-00 season with a great performance against Boston, but it's his start two seasons later that I'm focusing on here. Facing the Rangers to open the 2001-02 season, Irbe went into battle against Mike Richter and emerged victorious.
The Canes' offense helped him out with three goals through 40 minutes, scored by Sandis Ozolinsh, Darren Langdon, and Sami Kapanen. Irbe was nearly perfect, allowing a power-play goal to Mark Messier midway through the third. He finished the night with 29 stops on 30 shots, outdueling Richter, and setting into motion a wild ride to the Stanley Cup Final in 2002.
2007-08: Cam Ward
Not every outstanding performance comes in a win. As with Kapanen and Willis, theirs was a tie. For Cam Ward in October 2007, his came in an overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens. After the team failed to defend its title in 2006-07, they sought better fortunes in 2007-08. It didn't come with this start, but Ward did everything he could to try and secure two points for his team.
Ward was under fire for most of the night, facing 40 shots by the time it was all said and done. The Canes' downfall that night was their penalty kill. They took seven minor penalties in the contest, including one in overtime, and Montreal scored three times. Despite a 3-2 OTL, Ward made 37 stops, marking one of the best performances in a season-opening loss in Hurricanes history.
2010-11: Jussi Jokinen
The Hurricanes earned the honor of representing the league in the 2010 Compuware Premiere Games to kick off the 2010-11 season, facing the Minnesota Wild in a back-to-back in Helsinki, Finland. It was a good weekend for the Hurricanes, earning a sweep with a pair of victories. In their opening contests, Jussi Jokinen took center stage in front of his fellow countrymen.
Jokinen had a multi-point effort in the first game, setting up Brandon Sutter for the first of his two goals and scoring on the power play midway through second period. He followed it up with an assist on the Canes' only goal in regulation in the second game. Finishing the weekend with three points in two games was cool but doing it in his country had to make it even sweeter.
2021-22: Andrei Svechnikov
Entering the modern stretch of the franchise's timeline, Andrei Svechnikov already had three years under his belt to this point, proving to be a decently reliable scorer. As expectations grew, so too did his performances. He began his fourth season by turning it on against the New York Islanders in front of the Caniac faithful.
Svechnikov scored the team's first goal of the season, answering a New York goal in less than two minutes. He followed it up with two points in the third period, assisting on Teuvo Teravainen's dagger on the power play, and scoring into the empty net. Svechnikov's three-point night set in motion a career season for the winger, leading to his first 30-goal campaign and 69 points, a career-high.
2022-23: Martin Necas
Before he was lighting up the Los Angeles Kings on Opening Night as a part of the Colorado Avalanche, Martin Necas was lighting up the Blue Jackets as a Carolina Hurricane. For many, Necas' breakout came during in '22-'23, leading the Hurricanes with 71 points and notching a career-high 28 goals. It all began with a three-point performance against Columbus on Opening Night.
After a slow start against Daniil Tarasov and Columbus, the Canes poured it on over the final two periods. Necas was a big part of that. He set up Brady Skjei for the eventual game-winner late in the second period, scored one early in the third, and helped Andrei Svechnikov ice the game. The Canes beat the Blue Jackets, 4-1, kicking off a breakout campaign for Necas.