The Carolina Hurricanes’ schedule for the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs is now set through the first four games. The Hurricanes will face the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, and the series opens with Game 1 on Saturday at 3p ET at Lenovo Center.
The series marks the first meeting between the two teams in the postseason. The Hurricanes earned the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 53-22-7 (113 points). The Senators qualified for the postseason as a wild card, with a record of 44-27-11 (99 points). Carolina is making a franchise record eighth consecutive playoff appearance, dating back to 2019, and is one of five teams in NHL history with a series win in seven consecutive postseasons. The Hurricanes have won 47 playoff games since Rod Brind’Amour became head coach in 2018-19, which ranks third among Eastern Conference teams and fifth in the NHL.
All Stanley Cup Playoffs games involving the Canes will be broadcast on 99.9 The Fan and streamed live on 999thefan.com. On the call for each game will be play-by-play announcer Mike Maniscalco and analyst Tripp Tracy.
Carolina’s complete 2026 First Round schedule is below:
Sat, April 18: Game 1, 3p ET, Lenovo Center, Raleigh
Mon, April 20: Game 2, 730p ET, Lenovo Center, Raleigh
Thu, April 23: Game 3, 730p ET, Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa
Sat, April 25: Game 4, 3p ET, Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa
Mon, April 27: Game 5, TBD, Lenovo Center, Raleigh
Thu, April 30: Game 6, TBD, Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa
Sat, May 2: Game 7, TBD, Lenovo Center, Raleigh