If Brooks Orpik is historically the most disliked player in Carolina Hurricanes history, then Erik Haula is a close second. In fact, he might own the title of the most disliked active player among the Caniacs, and for good reason. This is a rivalry that has stood for years now, and Haula embraces his role beautifully. It makes him a very fun player to hate.
Haula became a Carolina Hurricane on June 26, 2019, in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. The Canes sent Nicolas Roy and a pick to Vegas to get the deal done. He started the 2019-20 season on a heater, picking up points in nine of his first 11 games, and he had eight goals and 11 points in 14 games. This felt like a perfect spot for him.
Injuries caused things to go off the rails a little. He missed four games in early November with a knee injury, and it only got worse once he returned. Haula played just two more games before missing over a month as his nagging injury worsened. When he was healthy again, Haula finished 2019 with a bang, including a two-goal, three-point performance in Toronto as part of a strong December.
When the calendar changed, so too did Haula's production. He was a healthy scratch during the team's final game before the All-Star break, and the relationship with the Canes slowly deteriorated from there. On an expiring deal with no indication of an extension incoming, it led to a trade with the Panthers, sending him to Florida as part of a four-player package for Vincent Trocheck.
After this trade, a rivalry blossomed and unfortunate history was made
While he didn't face the Canes with the Panthers for the remainder of the 2019-20 season nor in the postseason bubble, things really got going when Haula, who joined the Nashville Predators that offseason, was placed in the Central Division, facing the Canes eight times during the 56-game campaign. He was healthy for five of them, scoring two goals and three points.
It really wasn't until the Hurricanes and the Predators met in the first round of the 2021 postseason. Haula became a menace, and his target was Martin Necas. The former linemates were going at it the entire series. Haula had four points, but Necas and the Canes got the last laugh. They won the series in six games, beginning an unfortunate streak for Haula in the postseason.
After signing with Boston during the offseason, he was put on a path to meet the Canes in the first round for a second year in a row. Once again, the Canes ended his season. He was traded to the Devils that summer, bringing him back to the Metropolitan Division. On his third team in three years, he faced the same fate, losing to the Canes in five games in the second round, a step up for him.
In doing so, Haula became the first player in NHL history to be eliminated by the same team in three consecutive postseasons while playing for three different teams. It's a source of great pride for many Canes fans. Despite this place in infamy, Haula upped the ante that summer, fanning the flames with the help of a bracelet.
How a "Canes Suck" bracelet added more gas to the fire
When I joined Cardiac Cane in 2023, one of my first pieces, written almost three years ago to the day, was about Erik Haula and Canes fans' infatuation with him in the aftermath of what I will affectionately call #BraceletGate. In the days prior, a picture circulated on social media of Haula at a charity golf event sporting a "Canes Suck" bracelet, given to him by a fan.
As it turns out, it was given to him by a young Taylor Swift fan who had spare bracelets to give. When she offered one to Haula at the event, Haula asked if she had one with those two words on it. When she replied that she didn't, the fan said that she could make one. Thus, a story was born, and the hatred inside the hearts of many Hurricanes fans grew.
On the surface, it feels like such a small thing. In the eyes of the Caniacs, it was one of the greatest injustices ever committed. How dare someone take a jab at our team? Truthfully, I found it silly and said as much three years ago. After all, it was coming from a player whose season had been ended by the Canes three years in a row. He had no leg to stand on, yet he pushed forward. That's dedication.
The Hurricanes continue to get the last laugh against Haula
The Devils missed the playoffs in 2024, robbing Haula of the chance to be eliminated by the Canes for a fourth straight campaign. He wasn't as lucky in 2025. For the fourth time in five years, the Canes proved too tough in the first round. Haula had just one assist in a five-game series win for the Canes. He was traded to Nashville that summer, free from the possibility of another postseason encounter.
Season | Regular Season Stats | Postseason Stats |
|---|---|---|
2020-21 (w/ NSH) | 2 goals, 1 assist | 1 goal, 3 assists |
2021-22 (w/ BOS) | 0 goals, 0 assists | 1 goal, 2 assists |
2022-23 (w/ NJD) | 0 goals, 2 assists | 0 goals, 0 assists |
2023-24 (w/ NJD) | 0 goals, 0 assists | Did not play |
2024-25 (w/ NJD) | 0 goals, 0 assists | 0 goals, 1 assist |
2025-26 (w/ NSH) | 0 goals, 1 assist | Did not play |
Haula hasn't won a game in the regular season in Raleigh since January 10, 2023. It's his only win in Raleigh since being traded by the Hurricanes, with all seven of his team's postseason victories against the Canes coming at home. Haula hasn't scored a goal against the Canes since May 12, 2022, a Game 6 win for the Bruins. For all of the antics, the results are one-sided in Carolina's favor.
It's unlikely that the Hurricanes will have to deal with Haula in the postseason again this season. He signed with the Los Angeles Kings this summer, meaning it could only happen in the Stanley Cup Final. The Kings are in Raleigh this season on January 30, 2027. Haula will not be given a warm welcome from the home crowd, but he's used to it by now.
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