The Carolina Hurricanes were certainly busy on Wednesday, Aug. 27, as they announced a plethora of news throughout the day. They ranged from a new entry-level contract (ELC) to professional tryout (PTO) deals, prospect showcase rosters, and so much more. That said, I might as well dump out the entire Hurricanes notebook from the latest, as it will cover everything from the last Wednesday in August.
Ivan Ryabkin Signs ELC
The first bit of news that was announced was the signing of Russian forward Ivan Ryabkin to his ELC on Wednesday morning. The deal has Ryabkin earning, if playing in the NHL, $775,000 in 2025-26, $850,000 in 2026-27, and $895,000 in 2027-28. However, if he plays in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Chicago Wolves, he will earn $85,000 for each of the three seasons. Also, he receives $235,000 in signing bonuses. Ryabkin was drafted 62nd overall by the Hurricanes in the recent 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The Russian center recently won the Clark Cup for the 2024-25 season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League (USHL).
Related: Carolina Hurricanes’ 2025 NHL Draft Recap
Ryabkin managed to tally 19 goals and 30 points in 27 games in the USHL regular season. During the playoffs, he added seven goals and 16 points in 14 games. He was viewed as a first-round pick; however, he managed to fall all the way to 62nd overall, and the Hurricanes were viewed as a team that had the steal of Round 2. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Ryabkin for the 2025-26 season. Most likely, he could be seeing time in the AHL with the Wolves. While he does have a strong offensive IQ and a dangerous shot, his defensive game still needs improvement. Thankfully for Ryabkin, he will join a great coaching staff in Chicago with Cam Abbott, who has shown to build talent and make players ready for the next level.
The Hurricanes need center depth within the organization, and adding Ryabkin to that for the 2025-26 season will be a huge boost. If Ryabkin does indeed go to the Wolves, he will be joining Ryan Suzuki as a possible 1-2 punch down the spine of the forward core. He will be someone Hurricanes and Wolves fans should be watching this upcoming season, with his unreal skill and the potential for growth in his overall game.
Hurricanes Announce 2025 Prospect Showcase Roster & Schedule
After the Ryabkin news, it was a coincidence that the next bit of news was the Hurricanes announcing their 2025 Prospect Showcase Roster, along with the schedule. The showcase will be held at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel, FL, from Sept. 12-15. Wolves head coach Abbott will be manning the bench during the showcase next month in Florida. The Hurricanes held the showcase back in 2022, and this time, the Tampa Bay Lightning will be the hosts. It will feature the same cast of teams from the Hurricanes, Lightning, Florida Panthers, and the Nashville Predators.
Related: Hurricanes’ Alexander Nikishin Invited to 2025 NHLPA Rookie Showcase
All four teams will play throughout the four-day event. The Hurricanes will play the Panthers on Friday, Sept. 12, at 2 p.m. Eastern, the Predators on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 2 p.m. Eastern, and finally the Lightning on Monday, Sept. 15, at 3 p.m. Eastern. That Sunday, Sept. 14, is being held as a practice day. This is the sixth time that the Hurricanes will be part of the rookie showcase with the three other teams, as each team rotates hosting the event.
Hurricanes Sign Oliver Kylington & Givani Smith to PTOs
Later in the afternoon on Wednesday, the Hurricanes announced the PTO signings of defenseman Oliver Kylington and forward Givani Smith before the start of their 2025 Training Camp. Kylington spent the 2024-25 season split between the Colorado Avalanche and the Anaheim Ducks, tallying one goal and five points in 19 games. Before the previous season, he spent six seasons with the Calgary Flames, where he totaled 17 goals and 55 points in 201 games. Kylington’s most games played season came in 2021-22 with the Flames, where he was in 73 games.
Smith sent the 2024-25 season split between the San Jose Sharks and the Avalanche, where he had a minus-3 and zero points in 13 games. The 2016 second-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings has played in 168 games over his six-year NHL career. Expect both players to help maintain the need for bodies, regarding the preseason and training camp rosters.
Hurricanes to Play in 10 National TV Games
The Hurricanes announced that they will participate in 10 National TV games throughout the 2025-26 season. Seven of those will be featured on ESPN+, while the other three will be on TNT. There was a slight change outside of these 10 games as the Hurricanes, on Oct. 28, will face off against the Vegas Golden Knights at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. Furthermore, seven of those 10 games will have a puck drop change. Five of those seven are home games.
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | VENUE | CARRIER |
| Thurs, Oct. 9 | vs. New Jersey | 7:30 p.m.* | Lenovo Center | ESPN+ |
| Thurs, Oct. 30 | vs. NY Islanders | 7:30 p.m.* | Lenovo Center | ESPN+ |
| Tues, Nov. 4 | at NY Rangers | 7:00 p.m. | Madison Square Garden | TNT |
| Wed, Nov. 19 | at Minnesota | 9:30 p.m. | Xcel Energy Center | TNT |
| Thurs, Dec. 4 | vs. Toronto | 7:30 p.m.* | Lenovo Center | ESPN+ |
| Tues, Dec. 9 | vs. Columbus | 7:30 p.m.* | Lenovo Center | ESPN+ |
| Tues, Jan. 13 | at St. Louis | 7:30 p.m.* | Enterprise Center | ESPN+ |
| Mon, Jan. 19 | vs. Buffalo | 1:30 p.m. | Lenovo Center | TNT |
| Thurs, Jan. 22 | vs. Chicago | 7:00 p.m. | Lenovo Center | ESPN+ |
| Tues, March 31 | at Columbus | 7:30 p.m.* | Nationwide Arena | ESPN+ |
Road Jerseys are Coming
As if the Hurricanes weren’t done with the news, probably the biggest piece of the day’s onslaught of information came at 3 p.m. Eastern. The team announced that the “rumors are true”, in that they will be debuting new road jerseys for the 2025-26 season. Per their video on X/Twitter, they will unveil what these will look like on Wednesday, Sept. 3. The recent rendition of the road uniforms has been their white ones with red warning flag designs on the bottom and sleeves. They also have the wordmark “Canes” diagonal going from the top left to the bottom right.
It’ll be interesting to see what the new road jerseys will look like for the upcoming 2025-26 season. Will it be the current logo, but a road version? A tweak on their Stadium Series jerseys, but with a road flair to it? Or could it be a different wordmark or a combination of the two? Either way, it’ll be exciting to see some new threads for the Hurricanes next Wednesday.
Closing the Notebook
It was a busy Wednesday, Aug. 27, for the Hurricanes. There was a ton of information to process and report throughout the day. The Hurricanes have certainly been busy, and they aren’t stopping anytime soon. Soon, training camp will start, followed by the prospect showcase, preseason games, and eventually, the 2025-26 season. It’s an exciting time, and it’s only the beginning for the Hurricanes.
