The Carolina Hurricanes don't have a true #1 rival. They certainly aren't any other team's top rival. There's always someone higher on the pecking order than them, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Many of their biggest rivalries from the 2000s melted away after nearly a decade of desolation. However, with their resurgence over the last eight years, new hatred has formed.
To wrap up our week on rivals, villains, and other grudges, let's look at the teams that I consider to be the Hurricanes' greatest adversaries ahead of the 2026-27 season. Some of the deepest cuts are made during the postseason, and this list will largely reflect that. Honestly, the order of this list could be made a hundred different ways, but I think the Top 5 are pretty set.
Just Missing the Cut
New Jersey Devils: I talked about this on Saturday, but I'll reiterate it here. The Canes and the Devils had something special once upon a time. They met four times in the postseason from 2001 to 2009 and created some memories. The "rivalry" is a bit too one-sided right now, but all it will take is one massive inciting incident to get that spark back.
Montreal Canadiens: Falling right outside of the Top 5, a more competitive Eastern Conference Finals series in May likely puts this one a little higher. Montreal took it to the Canes in Game 1, and while Games 2 and 3 went to overtime, Carolina was miles better for the rest of the series. At least Montreal can hang its hat on sweeping the Canes during the regular season.
5. Boston Bruins
Honestly, there needed to be one "long-term history matters" pick in the Top 5, and that honor belongs to the Boston Bruins. The Bruins didn't like the Whalers, feeling they were encroaching on their territory, and that disapproval remains, albeit in smaller quantities, toward the group in Raleigh. Just ask some of the old heads about the Canes wearing Whalers colors.
The on-ice spark isn't as prevalent nowadays, especially since they haven't played in the playoffs since 2022. There are some moments here and there, like their wild 6-5 overtime game in the Canes' home finale in April, but they don't drop the gloves as often. I don't think there will ever be a time when these two teams truly like each other, but there are some more heated rivals on the board.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning
I see this less as a true rivalry and more as two very passionate teams who sometimes like to fight each other. There's no deep-seated moment that comes to mind as the catalyst for a long-standing feud. They were division foes for years, so that certainly didn't help matters. Over the last few years, combatants from each side have dropped the gloves a few times.
When I think of Tampa Bay, I think of Yanni Gourde cross-checking Jordan Staal as he scores a goal, and Nikita Kucherov going after Sebastian Aho after a Canes win. We also saw Seth Jarvis drop the mitts with Zemgus Girgensons in Tampa last season. You can add the Jake Guentzel and John Carlson of it all, too, but I think that's more about the fans than the players.
3. Washington Capitals
There have been ebbs and flows to this rivalry over the years. However, the disdain between the Hurricanes and the Capitals reached a new peak on April 2, 2025. Carolina dominated the game, winning 5-1 to clinch a playoff spot, but things got chippy, leading to two fights and eight misconduct penalties in the third period. Then, they met in the playoffs, and the Canes won in five games.
That animosity didn't go away this year. Two of their three meetings saw fisticuffs, with Logan Stankoven dropping his gloves against Martin Fehervary and Jordan Martinook squaring up with Nic Dowd. With Washington's push this offseason to improve for what could be Alex Ovechkin's final season, I'm expecting a little more of the same in 2026-27.
2. New York Rangers
Don't let last season's mediocrity fool you. Canes fans still don't like the Rangers, and I don't think that's ever going to change. Teams come and go from the "most hated" list all of the time. The Rangers are unlikely to ever fall from that list. It's not just that Raleigh is overrun by Rangers fans when they play there. Everything about the Rangers drives us up a wall.
Losses in the second round in 2022 and 2024 don't help. The Rangers are the only team to ever beat the Canes in a Game 7. Then, three very tight games put the Canes behind 3-0 in 2024. They nearly forced a seventh game before falling apart at home in Game 6. The Canes did win both games in New York last season, shutting out the Rangers at Madison Square Garden twice.
1. Florida Panthers
The Panthers and the Hurricanes account for the last three Stanley Cup wins and the last four Eastern Conference Final wins. Most of that belongs to Florida, though their Prince of Wales wins in 2023 and 2025 have come at the Canes' expense. In many ways, the heartbreak of those two crash-outs helped the Canes get over the hump in 2026.
This rivalry is felt online almost as much as it's felt on the ice. The fan bases don't like each other. The players on the ice aren't too fond of each other, and it's likely to only get worse after everything the Panthers have done this offseason. They're set to open their seasons against one another in Raleigh as the Canes raise their Stanley Cup banner, and they'll finish the year in Sunrise.
Add us as a preferred source on Google