The 2025-26 season for the Carolina Hurricanes has been one of milestones, career highs, and celebrations. It’s the 20th Anniversary season of the 2005-06 team winning the Stanley Cup, along with punching a franchise record eighth straight playoff appearance. Furthermore, players up and down the lineup are setting new career highs in goals, assists, points, etc. On Saturday night (April 11), they set a new franchise record.
Spreading the 20-Goal Wealth
In the Canes’ 4-1 win over the Utah Mammoth, captain Jordan Staal scored his 20th goal of the season, the first time since 2015-16. After the game, head coach Rod Brind’Amour talked about how huge it was for the captain, stating, “It’s huge. Everyone’s all about numbers, but hopefully it brings light to what kind of player he is. We talk about the Selke Award, just look at his game tonight. Just look at that game tonight and tell me how that’s not a guy who should be winning that this year.”
What makes that significant is that he became the seventh player to score at least 20 goals this season, a Hurricanes record. Staal joined Seth Jarvis (32), Andrei Svechnikov (31), Sebastian Aho (26), Nikolaj Ehlers (24), Jackson Blake (22), and Logan Stankoven (21) to reach that mark.
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Before Staal helped secure the franchise record, the Hurricanes had six 20-goal scorers for the third time in team history. The other two times occurred during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. In 2005-06, it was Eric Staal (45), Rod Brind’Amour (31), Justin Williams (31), Erik Cole (30), Matt Cullen (25), and Cory Stillman (21). Regarding 2006-07, it was Williams (33), Ray Whitney (32), E. Staal (30), Cole (29), Brind’Amour (26), and Scott Walker (21).
After setting the record, it was the second time in franchise history to have seven or more 20-goal scorers in a season. The only other time was in 1986-87, when the Hartford Whalers had eight. The eight players on that Whalers team were Kevin Dineen (40), John Anderson (31), Ron Francis (30), Ray Ferraro (27), Sylvain Turgeon (23), Dean Evason (22), Paul Lawless (22), and Stew Gavin (20).
While there are still two regular-season games left, plus the entire 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs left to play, this has been a memorable season for the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes under Brind’Amour have always been built where the whole team has to contribute, and they have done that this season. They set a new record for most goals in a season (287) after scoring four on Saturday night. The previous high was 286 back in 2005-06.
There have been many comparisons for this season’s iteration of the Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup team. While they won’t have a 100-point player like Eric Staal, this team has scored goals by committee, and it will be something to help them for what hopes to be another deep playoff run. They’ve been to the Eastern Conference Final twice in the last three seasons and three times in the last seven under Brind’Amour. Their eighth try at the Stanley Cup will have high expectations once again.
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However, there seems to be something different with this team. Despite a couple of rough patches, this team has shown it can handle the pressure and get out of slumps by getting wins in droves. They currently have a record of 52-22-6 with two games remaining and are first in the Eastern Conference. To have seven 20-goal scorers (almost eight players, with Taylor Hall having 18) is a massive boost heading into the playoffs.
It’ll come down to the Hurricanes being able to keep the scoring pace going this postseason. While seeding is still being determined for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, one thing is for sure: the Hurricanes will be hungry to get over the hump and make the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006. Where they are at now, with a plethora of goal scorers, a top-five power play, and goaltending that has gotten better, this is a team to watch make another deep playoff run.
