Carolina has won six in a row and comes to Winnipeg with the best points percentage in the league. Hurricanes vs Jets is a 3:30pm ET start at Canada Life Centre on Saturday 17 October, and the Jets go into it without Connor Hellebuyck or Josh Morrissey.
How to watch
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Game | Carolina Hurricanes at Winnipeg Jets |
| Date | Saturday 17 October 2026 |
| Puck drop | 3:30pm ET / 2:30pm CT |
| Venue | Canada Life Centre |
| Records | Carolina 6-1-1, Winnipeg 4-1-2 |
Local blackout rules still apply in parts of the country, so check your provider before puck drop. Our how to watch the NHL in Canada page lists every national and regional option.
Hurricanes vs Jets odds
No Canadian book had priced this one when we wrote it. NHL lines usually go up the night before or on the morning of the game, and the live board is on our NHL odds page, with the day’s priced picks on NHL predictions.
Carolina has been the most complete team in hockey for three weeks
The Hurricanes are 6-1-1, with 31 goals for and 19 against in eight games. The six-game run includes two wins over Philadelphia, seven goals against Vancouver and a 4-2 home win over Washington on Tuesday.
The crease is split down the middle. Pyotr Kochetkov has won all four of his starts at a .911 save percentage and 1.73 goals against, and Brandon Bussi has the other four at .871. For a club this good that’s an unusual arrangement, and it leaves Winnipeg guessing which goaltender it’ll see.
All of this without a full lineup. Seth Jarvis, a 32-goal scorer last season, hasn’t played yet, Jordan Staal and Taylor Hall are both out, and Alexander Nikishin is unsigned in a contract dispute.
How they compare
| 2025-26 | Carolina Hurricanes | Winnipeg Jets |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 53-22-7 | 35-35-12 |
| Points | 113 | 82 |
| Goals for per game | 3.55 | 2.79 |
| Goals against per game | 2.88 | 3.12 |
| Power play | 24.9% | 18.5% |
| Penalty kill | 80.5% | 77.6% |
Last season’s gap was thirty-one points, and Carolina’s power play ran six points better. Winnipeg finished exactly .500 across 82 games, so on the 2025-26 numbers this shouldn’t be close.
Winnipeg is winning without its goaltender, and now without its best defenceman
Connor Hellebuyck has been suspended since before the season started, and the Jets are 4-1-2 anyway. Stuart Skinner has taken five of the seven starts and gone 3-0-2 with a .906, which is more than anyone could have asked of a stopgap.
Josh Morrissey has gone from day to day to out, with a wrist injury. He plays more minutes than any other Jet, and the blue line was already without Elias Salomonsson and Garrett Brown.
Thursday in Chicago was a warning. The Jets went into the third down 3-2, tied it, and lost 4-3 in overtime to a team that had started 2-5-0. Vladislav Namestnikov is out as well, so Brad Lambert draws in.
Carolina has won the last three meetings
| Date | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Nov 2025 | Carolina 5-1 | Carolina |
| 21 Nov 2025 | Carolina 4-3 | Winnipeg |
| 9 Mar 2025 | Carolina 4-2 | Carolina |
| 4 Feb 2025 | Winnipeg 3-0 | Winnipeg |
The last three meetings went to Carolina, including a 4-3 win in Winnipeg in November 2025. The Jets had won three of the four before that, so the series has come in streaks.
Four of the last six were decided by two goals or more. The only shutout in four years was Winnipeg’s 3-0 in February 2025.
Team news
| Club | Player | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina | Seth Jarvis | Out, shoulder. He had surgery in June and the club called it a four to six month absence, though he has said he hopes to beat it |
| Carolina | Jordan Staal | Out, calf, on injured reserve |
| Carolina | Taylor Hall | Out, upper body |
| Carolina | Alexander Nikishin | Unavailable. He is an unsigned restricted free agent who has requested a trade, not an injury |
| Winnipeg | Connor Hellebuyck | Unavailable. He is serving a suspension rather than carrying an injury, despite how the league’s injury feed files it |
| Winnipeg | Josh Morrissey | Out, wrist |
| Winnipeg | Vladislav Namestnikov | Out, undisclosed. Brad Lambert comes in |
| Winnipeg | Elias Salomonsson | Out, shoulder, recovering from April surgery |
| Winnipeg | Garrett Brown | Out, lower body, on injured reserve |
| Winnipeg | Walker Duehr | Out, lower body, on injured reserve |
Skinner’s form is why the Jets have survived without Hellebuyck. Doing it without Morrissey as well, against the team on the league’s longest winning streak, is a harder job. Every club’s injuries are tracked on our NHL injury report.
Players to watch
Pyotr Kochetkov, Carolina. Four starts, four wins and a 1.73 goals-against average. He hasn’t lost a start yet.
Stuart Skinner, Winnipeg. A .906 over five starts in place of a suspended Vezina winner. Winnipeg’s dropped points haven’t been on him.
Kyle Connor, Winnipeg. Eight goals already, the latest on the power play in Chicago on Thursday. He’s carrying the Jets’ offence.
Score prediction
Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 Winnipeg Jets. The Hurricanes are deeper, score more and concede less, and the Jets are short two regular defencemen. A two-goal margin fits that.
Hurricanes vs Jets prediction
Carolina is the pick. Six wins in a row, the last three meetings, and all of it without a 32-goal scorer. Winnipeg’s 4-1-2 owes a lot to Skinner.
If the Jets win, it’ll be because Skinner has another big night at home. The Hurricanes are in Calgary the next night, but that is worth a fraction of a goal at most. Our lean: Carolina, and the over if the total sits at 6 or lower. Carolina is averaging 3.9 goals a game. Both clubs’ places in the league are on our NHL power rankings, and the rest of Saturday’s games are on the NHL schedule.
Puck drop is 3:30pm ET / 2:30pm CT on Saturday 17 October 2026 at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg.
No. He is serving a suspension, not carrying an injury, and Stuart Skinner has taken five of Winnipeg’s seven starts in his place.
Josh Morrissey is out with a wrist problem, along with Vladislav Namestnikov, Elias Salomonsson, Garrett Brown and Walker Duehr. Hellebuyck is suspended.
Carolina has won the last three meetings, including 4-3 in Winnipeg in November 2025.
Carolina to win 4-2, and the over if the total sits at 6 or lower.
19+ (18+ in AB, MB and QC). Picks are opinion, not advice, and odds change constantly. Availability varies by province. Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 for Ontario residents; see your province’s helpline for resources elsewhere.