Motivated Florida Panthers open the season against the Hurricanes as the banner rises in Raleigh

The Florida Panthers open the 2026-27 NHL season against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh. Before the game, the Hurricanes will raise their 2025-26 championship banner, making this a matchup between the last three Stanley Cup winners, as Florida had won the two previous seasons (2024 and 2025).

According to the NHL, the banner-raising ceremony will take place before the opening faceoff, and one of the televisions in the Panthers’ locker room was showing a replay of the Hurricanes’ 3-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in the decisive Game 6 of the 2026 final.

For the Panthers, last season had been a difficult one: captain Aleksander Barkov injured his knee on the first day of training camp and missed the entire season, while the team failed to qualify for the playoffs and finished seventh in the Atlantic Division. Forward Matthew Tkachuk said the team feels extra motivation for the first game, especially now as the side taking up the challenge against the reigning champion.

Coach Paul Maurice, who has early ties to Carolina and worked with Rod Brind’Amour during both of his stints there, admitted the occasion will bring emotion. The Panthers suffered numerous absences last season — including Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand and Seth Jones — but are healthier now and strengthened the squad over the summer, including the acquisition of Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa on June 21, the arrival of goaltender Jacob Markström to replace Sergei Bobrovsky, and the return of defenseman Radko Gudas.

Whether the Panthers will be on the bench during the ceremony remains unclear, as the visitors’ bench at the Lenovo Center is not directly connected to the locker room and may require players to come out onto the ice earlier so as not to interfere with the celebrations. Maurice said his team respects the importance of such ceremonies but will consult with Carolina on the details. Matthew Tkachuk expressed that the players will be motivated in any case, expecting an emotional night for both teams. According to the NHL, those comments underline the intensity expected in this opening game.