For the first time since the 2022-23 season, the Carolina Hurricanes will have a direct affiliation with an ECHL team this fall.
In recent years, the Hurricanes’ prospects played for teams such as the Norfolk Admirals and Bloomington Bison through working agreements with other NHL organizations. Now, the player development path will run from the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL) to a new ECHL expansion franchise located just 40 minutes away from Raleigh.
This marks a return to a city that welcomed the Hurricanes in 1997 and highlights hockey’s continued growth in North Carolina.
The organization notes that 48 current and former Hurricanes players have spent time in what was once known as the East Coast Hockey League, including several who made their debuts with Carolina last season.
