The beginning of the 2016-17 regular season is right around the corner for the Carolina Hurricanes. The team wrapped up training camp and went 4-2-1 in the preseason, showing some positive momentum the team has for this season. Ron Francis continues to put his stamp on the team after adding forwards Teuvo Teravainen, Lee Stempniak, Bryan Bickell and Viktor Stalberg, and promoting Finnish prospect Sebastian Aho. Francis’ actions has led to a large amount of optimism for fans to believe the Canes can end their seven-year playoff drought. As the team sets out to begin its 20th season in Raleigh, here are some dates and games to keep in mind for this season.
Oct. 13 Hurricanes at Winnipeg Jets — The Canes will head north to Winnipeg to begin their regular season slate Thursday, and consequently begin their annual “State Fair Road Trip” that will see the team play its first six games on the road. While this is just one game out of 82, it is undoubtedly an important one for the Hurricanes. Slow starts have sunk many promising seasons for this team and players; coaches and management alike have proclaimed the importance of getting out of the gate on the right foot this season. There is no better way to do so than starting things off 1-0. While Winnipeg finished last in the Central Division and failed to make the playoffs last season, this is by no means a “gimme game” for the Hurricanes (those don’t exist in the NHL anyway). The Jets possess a good mix of veteran players such as forward Bryan Little and defensemen Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien, along with promising youngsters such as forwards Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers and the debut of 2016 No. 2 draft pick Patrik Laine. This will be a good early test for the new-look Hurricanes.
Oct. 28 Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers —Following its six-game road trip, Carolina will head back to Raleigh in late October for its home opener. This will be another important game, as the Canes will either be looking to build off a strong road trip or recover from another early season stumble. A strong showing in the team’s first home game would also go a long way to start correcting the team’s attendance woes, as the Hurricanes finished dead last in the league in average attendance last year. A home divisional game is always an important victory as well. The Rangers will look a bit different than last year. Gone are defenseman Keith Yandle and forward Derick Brassard; in is young center Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers are looking to overcome an embarrassing four-game first round playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, and will be led as usual by forwards Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello and Rick Nash, along with defensemen Marc Staal and Ryan McDonagh and backstopped by elite goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. The Canes have struggled against the Rangers in years past, so grabbing a win here would show the team is starting to turn the corner.
Nov. 24 Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens — This date is important not because of the game featured, but because of its holiday: Thanksgiving. Why is this important for an NHL team? Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters is fond of setting Thanksgiving as a target line for his team to be in playoff position, something they have not been able to do in either of his first two seasons. Peters says that it is rare for teams to make the playoffs if they are not in position by this date. Given the role poor starts have played in the Canes’ playoff drought, getting into good standing early is definitely in this young team’s best interest.
Dec. 30 Hurricanes at Chicago Blackhawks — New Year’s Eve is often a much anticipated game for the Hurricanes, but with the team away on the final day of 2016 this year, this game will fill that festive role for the Canes. When the Blackhawks came to town in January, the Canes dominated to the tune of a 5-0 win on national television. With Chicago led by forwards Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane and defenseman Duncan Keith, the Hawks are a perennial contender for the Stanley Cup, something the Francis-era Canes aspire to be. This will be a good measuring-stick game for Carolina.
Jan. 27-30 and Feb. 12-16 —Jan. 27-30 will mark the NHL’s annual All-Star break for this year’s All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, and the Canes will have at least one representative, possibly more if some of the promising young players come through. Mid-February will bring something unprecedented. With the season starting a week late and a compressed schedule due to the World Cup of Hockey, the NHL has implemented “bye weeks” for this season, a mandated five day break in each team’s schedule where it will have no games or practices. This will present a chance for the Canes to rest and recharge from a busy first half and gear up for a possible final playoff push.
Feb. 28 Trade Deadline —Francis’ first two trade deadlines have seen a common theme — selling off veteran players on expiring contracts for picks and prospects to help build for the future. Last year’s deadline saw the Canes part ways with longtime captain Eric Staal, along with veteran forward Kris Versteeg and defenseman John-Michael Liles. What will this year bring? Will Francis be holding up the for-sale sign again? Will he stand pat and see what his young team can continue to accomplish? Or, if the Canes are in a good spot in the standings, could he add pieces for a possible playoff run? This day definitely has the potential to be a very interesting one for the Carolina fans.
April 9 Hurricanes at Philadelphia Flyers — This will be the final day of the regular season. What will it mean for the Canes? Will the team be eliminated from contention and face another long summer? Will it have already punched its playoff ticket for the first time since 2009? Or, as has happened before, will the Canes need to win this game to make it into the postseason? This could be a pivotal road divisional game for the Canes.
