The Carolina Hurricanes accidentally created the world’s longest playoff bye week.
With two straight 4-0 series sweeps over the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers, the Hurricanes have been waiting for their inevitable Eastern Conference Finals opponent since Saturday, May 9.
Once that series begins on Thursday, May 21, against the Game 7 victor between the Montreal Canadiens or Buffalo Sabres, the Hurricanes will have been off for a historic 11 days, per The Athletic’s Jame Mirtle.
Update / confirmation: Hurricanes have the modern NHL record for longest wait for their next series. pic.twitter.com/4QO3kh32WC
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) May 17, 2026
The 11 days between games is a new modern record for playoff rest, topped only by the 1919 Canadiens, who had 12 days off before that season’s Stanley Cup Final. The only recent comparables are the 10 days off that the Boston Bruins had in 2019 and the 10 days off that the Anaheim Ducks had in 2003.
Carolina’s long wait comes as the Canadiens and Sabres have gone the distance to decide their series. The victor of the second-round matchup will only receive two days of rest before starting their series against the Hurricanes.
While the time off could be seen as a good thing for an NHL team beleaguered by a long regular season and two playoff series, past precedent suggests that the rust that can build up for players may affect their chances of winning a championship. The 2019 Bruins and 2003 Ducks lost the next series after their long rests, both of which were those years’ Stanley Cup Finals.
In 1919, the Canadiens didn’t technically lose that year’s Cup Final, but their series against the Seattle Metropolitans was halted after five games due to an outbreak of Spanish flu. Neither team was awarded the Stanley Cup, the only time that has ever occurred for non-lockout-related reasons.
The Hurricanes also don’t have much recent success to lean on in the Eastern Conference Finals, as they have a 1-16 record in their four appearances in the series since winning the 2006 Stanley Cup. Three of those series (2009, 2019, 2023) were four-game sweeps.
