Hurricanes Return from Olympics Eyeing Stanley Cup

Three Canes players won medals in Milan, now set sights on NHL title

Feb. 26, 2026 at 5:18pm

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The Carolina Hurricanes' 20-day break for the Olympics has ended, and the team is now focused on making a push for the Stanley Cup. Three Hurricanes players - Jaccob Slavin, Seth Jarvis, and Sebastian Aho - won medals for their respective countries in the Milan Cortina Olympics. Now back in the U.S., they are eager to translate that success to an NHL championship with the Canes.

Why it matters

The Hurricanes have been a perennial playoff contender, but have yet to win the Stanley Cup. With three of their key players returning from Olympic glory, the team has added motivation and experience to make a deep postseason run.

The details

Slavin won gold with Team USA, Jarvis took silver with Canada, and Aho earned bronze with Finland. All three spoke excitedly about their Olympic experiences and how that has fueled their desire to win the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes. The team also got a boost from the emergence of goaltender Brandon Bussi, who signed a three-year extension during the break.

  • The Hurricanes' 20-day Olympic break ended on Thursday, February 26, 2026.
  • The Canes face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.
  • Next week, the team goes on a West Coast road trip to face Seattle, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.

The players

Jaccob Slavin

Defenseman for the Carolina Hurricanes who won a gold medal with Team USA at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Seth Jarvis

Forward for the Carolina Hurricanes who won a silver medal with Team Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Sebastian Aho

Alternate captain for the Carolina Hurricanes who won a bronze medal with Team Finland at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Brandon Bussi

Goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes who signed a three-year contract extension during the Olympic break.

Rod Brind'Amour

Head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes.

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What they’re saying

“It was such an amazing group of guys that we won that with.”

— Jaccob Slavin

“Now it's like, I want to come back here and do it with these guys, the Canes, and be able to win a Cup with them - the guys you battle with all year long.”

— Jaccob Slavin

“It's a reminder that we didn't finish the job. We didn't win... I'm gonna keep (my medal) and be proud of it, but it's motivation for hopefully, if I get another chance, to do right by it, and then come home with gold.”

— Seth Jarvis

“We enjoyed every second of it. That's what you have to do. You have to make the most of it when you're there. I'm really proud of how we played, but also, while playing our tails off, we had some fun. It was a great experience.”

— Sebastian Aho

What’s next

The Hurricanes face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night, kicking off a crucial stretch of 25 games in 48 days before the playoffs.

The takeaway

With three Olympians returning to the lineup and the continued strong play of goaltender Brandon Bussi, the Hurricanes are poised to make a deep playoff run and finally capture the elusive Stanley Cup that has eluded the franchise.