The Carolina Hurricanes host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, Oct. 8 at Lenovo Center with a 7:00 p.m. ET puck drop.
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The Carolina Hurricanes return to home ice on Thursday, Oct. 8 when they host the Vancouver Canucks at Lenovo Center, aiming for a third straight win.
Carolina enters the game with a 2-1-1 record, collecting five points and sitting second in the Metropolitan Division. The Hurricanes’ most recent game was a 6-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, Oct. 6, with Taylor Hall scoring twice and Sebastian Aho recording a goal and two assists. In net for that win, Brandon Bussi was credited with his first victory of the season.
Vancouver arrives with a 2-2-0 record and four points, tied for third in the Pacific Division. The Canucks last played on Sunday, Oct. 4, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Carolina’s power play has been productive to start the season, scoring four times in its latest outing and matching a hot start that has left it tied for third among NHL teams in the early portion of the schedule. The preview notes that only the Utah Mammoth (8), Vegas Golden Knights (5) and Anaheim Ducks (5) have more power-play goals.
Up front, Sebastian Aho is tied for second among NHL skaters with four goals in four games, entering Thursday with 18 career points in 17 regular-season games against Vancouver. The preview also says Aho has scored in three straight games, bringing him to four goals in four contests this season, and it lists several franchise players who recorded more goals through their first four team games in specific earlier campaigns.
In goal, the Hurricanes are expected to have Pyotr Kochetkov after Brandon Bussi started Tuesday’s win in Montreal. Kochetkov dressed for his first regular-season appearance since Dec. 20, 2025, on Saturday in Philadelphia, backstopping his team to a 3-2 overtime victory.
For the Canucks, the preview says they have alternated wins and losses through their first four games on a six-game road trip. Paul Cotter (4G, 2A) and Elias Pettersson (2G, 4A) are described as bright spots, with six points combined across Vancouver’s four outings. Kevin Lankinen has started three of the four games, and the preview notes Vancouver has allowed 16 goals and is carrying a 6.50 goals-against average entering Thursday.
Carolina’s lineup status includes an injury update: forward Seth Jarvis is practicing in a yellow, no-contact jersey after offseason shoulder surgery and was initially scheduled to miss “probably four to six months” from the end of June. The Hurricanes are scheduled to wear red uniforms.
After Thursday’s game, Carolina is scheduled to practice on Friday before flying to Chicago for a weekend back-to-back set that begins Saturday, Oct. 10 against the Blackhawks. The preview lists the Hurricanes’ next home game as Tuesday, Oct. 13 versus Washington.
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