Will Carolina Hurricanes carry a third goalie in the NHL playoffs? What we know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Pyotr Kochetkov was assigned to AHL Chicago Wolves on a conditioning stint.
- He made seven saves in the opening period before Amir Miftakhov replaced him.
- Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussi have handled Hurricanes goaltending duties.
The Carolina Hurricanes’ goaltending situation has taken another twist in the closing days of the regular season.
The Canes on Friday assigned Pyotr Kochetkov to the Chicago Wolves, their American Hockey League affiliate, on a conditioning stint. Kochetkov then was in net and started Friday for the Wolves against the Grand Rapids Griffins.
In his first action since Dec. 20, Kochetkov made seven saves in the opening period before Amir Miftakhov took over in net as the Wolves earned a 4-1 victory. The Griffins scored an early power-play goal for a 1-0 lead in the first.
Kochetkov followed with another start Sunday and was in for the first two periods of the Wolves’ 4-2 win over the Rockford IceHogs, stopping 18 of 19 shots,
Kochetkov’s season has been abbreviated because of a lower-body issues limiting him to nine appearances with the Hurricanes. He decided to have surgery and the team initially reported in December he could miss the remainder of the season.
Asked April 2 about Kochtkov’s rehab progress, Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said he had no timeline for a return by the goalie and said, “I don’t anticipate him being around.”
On April 4, Kochetkov skated on the ice in full gear late in a practice at the Lenovo Center, later saying he was not sure how close he was to being able to play.
A Kochetkov return would bolster the Canes’ goaltending depth heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs. In Kochetkov’s absence, Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussi have teamed up to handle the goaltending — Bussi playing remarkably well in his first NHL season after being claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers.
Bussi, 27, had a 30-6-1 record before Saturday’s NHL games, with a 2.52 goals-against average. He was named the team MVP by the Carolina chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association as the Canes captured the Metropolitan Division title in qualifying for an eighth straight playoff appearance.
Andersen, 36, was 15-14-5 with a 3.11 GAA and .871 save percentage before Saturday. He has 85 games of playoff experience, going 19-12 the past three seasons with the Canes.
Kochetkov has 10 games of playoff experience, starting four for the Canes.
This story was originally published April 12, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
