Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Sasha Barkov speaks after his team beat the host Carolina Hurricanes 1-0 in OT on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026.
Florida and the Hurricanes opened the 2026-27 NHL season on ESPN after Carolina celebrated its 2026 Stanley Cup championship by raising the banner to the rafters at Lenovo Center.
Defenseman Gus Forsling won it for the Panthers with 4.3 seconds left in overtime; Jacob Markstrom, making his first start for the Panthers in 12 years, made 15 saves for the shutout.
Barkov played his first NHL game since Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final after missing all of last season with a knee injury.
The Panthers flew to northern California following the game and will play the San Jose Sharks on Thursday at 10 p.m.
Video Courtesy Florida Panthers / @FlaPanthers / Panthers Vision
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Protect this man at all cost