Brief
Panthers defeat Hurricanes 1‑0 in OT season opener
Forsling's late overtime goal gave Florida a 1‑0 win over Carolina in the opening game of the 2026‑27 NHL season.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Gustav Forsling scored with 4.3 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Florida Panthers a 1‑0 victory over the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes in the season opener on Tuesday, Sep. 29, 2026, according to the Associated Press.
What happened
The game remained scoreless through regulation as both teams relied on strong defensive play and goaltending. In the final seconds of overtime, Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe entered the zone and passed the puck back to Forsling, who unleashed a one‑timer from near the blue line that slipped past Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi.
What was said
The AP report noted that the Panthers' win ended a three‑month celebration period for the Hurricanes after their June Cup triumph.
How it came about
Florida entered the game after reaching the Stanley Cup Final for three consecutive years and winning titles in 2024 and 2025, while Carolina had eliminated the Panthers twice in previous Eastern Conference Finals. The Panthers also welcomed back captain Aleksander Barkov from injury, a factor highlighted in earlier Felo coverage of the team's recent success.
Key facts
- Gustav Forsling scored the overtime winner with 4.3 seconds left. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- The final score was Panthers 1, Hurricanes 0. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- The game was the season opener for both teams on Sep. 29, 2026. (winnipegfreepress.com)
Sources
- [1] winnipegfreepress.com — originally reported as “Forsling's OT blast lifts Panthers past reigning Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes 1-0”
