Returns, revenge, and a road-heavy conclusion highlight the Hurricanes' next campaign

The Carolina Hurricanes, along with the rest of the NHL, released their regular-season schedule on Wednesday afternoon, adding a momentary measure of excitement during the dog days of the offseason. The schedule announcement came with a little help from Seth Jarvis' buddies, highlighting the team's road games.

For the final time until the new CBA kicks in next season, the schedule features 82 games. Like in years' past, the Canes will face each Western Conference team twice in a home-and-home, every team in the Atlantic Division three times, and five Metropolitan Division opponents four times. This season, they'll face the Capitals and the Islanders just three times.

The chaos begins before the State Fair comes to town

The puck drops for the first time this season on Thursday, October 9th, when the Hurricanes welcome the New Jersey Devils to town. It'll be their first meeting since the teams collided in the first round last April, a five-game series victory ended by Sebastian Aho in double overtime. The expectation is that Jack Hughes, who missed the series with a shoulder injury, will be ready to go.

After hosting the Philadelphia Flyers that Saturday, the Canes embark on their yearly State Fair road trip. This year's journey marks the team's longest trip of the season, taking them through California, Vegas, Colorado, and Dallas. This gives us our first looks at Martin Necas in an Avalanche sweater, and Mikko Rantanen as a Star, while also marking Logan Stankoven's return to Dallas.

Nikolaj Ehlers and K'Andre Miller return to their old stomping grounds

November features another pair of returns for the Hurricanes' biggest offseason additions. K'Andre Miller is first, heading back to Madison Square Garden on November 4th to face the Rangers for the first time this season. The team makes another trip to New York on February 5th in their final game before the Olympic break.

Nikolaj Ehlers won't have to wait much longer to face the Winnipeg Jets for the first time. The Canes will be in Manitoba on Friday, November 21st, for their annual visit. It'll be their third stop on a four-game trip. The Jets saunter to Raleigh a week later for a Black Friday, late-afternoon start at the Lenovo Center to conclude the season series.

Alex Ovechkin's returns to Raleigh for the (potentially) the last time

Sandwiched between those returns could be a full-circle moment for the greatest goal scorer in NHL history. There has been a lot of noise surrounding Alex Ovechkin and whether the 2025-26 season will be his final in the league. Ovechkin has been quick to silence the speculation, though no guarantee has been made that he'll play beyond 2026.

Whatever the case, Ovechkin could make his final appearance in Raleigh on November 11th, assuming the Canes and the Capitals don't collide in the playoffs again this season. With the division rivals only meeting three times this season, Washington won't make a second trip to Raleigh, meaning Ovechkin will play just once this season in the building he was drafted inside.

Three meetings in a month will serve as the Litmus test against the champs

There'll be no such thing as "holiday spirit" when the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers meet. Two of their three games come in the week before Christmas, just four days apart in each side's barn. The Hurricanes venture to Sunrise for their only trip of the season on December 19th before the Panthers head to Raleigh on December 23rd before breaking for the holidays.

The third, and final, meeting of the regular season comes three weeks later at the Lenovo Center. After the Canes visited twice last season, the Panthers return the favor, concluding the series on January 16th. The Canes will face many tough opponents, but the Panthers are the measuring stick for the other 31 teams, making them the toughest matchup on the schedule.

The Hurricanes face a road-heavy schedule after the Olympics

While the State Fair trip in October front-loads a lot of the Canes' early road games, the tail-end of the season is far more road-heavy than the start. After returning from the Olympics at home against the Lightning and the Red Wings, the Hurricanes kick off a stretch of 15 road games in their final 23 contests. It all begins with their trip to Seattle and Western Canada March 2-7.

The home finale is on April 7th against the Bruins. As they have the last three seasons, the Hurricanes finish the regular season away from home, playing their final four games on the road. The season concludes with a Metro Division back-to-back against the Flyers and the Islanders on April 13th and 14th. Hopefully, there won't be much to play for by then.