Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes was on the ice Saturday at Invisalign Arena and surrounded by a lot of young, would-be Svechnikovs.
Svechnikov, after a summer break in Russia, was back in town to help with the Hurricanes’ First Goal Program, which gives boys and girls from ages 5 to 10 the opportunity to put on hockey gear and go through instructional sessions.
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Svechnikov, about to begin his eighth NHL season, joined UNC Health and Ticketmaster in sponsoring the 2025 program. The forward saw to it that nearly every kid on the ice was wearing a No. 37 jersey with “Svechnikov” on the back.
“I love to help out the kids, because I remember myself and when I tried to skate with some professional guys or things like that it (created) memories as a kid you always have,” Svechnikov said. “That was a lot of fun and I try to make those memories for these kids and help them out somehow.
“I heard we get like 600 kids every year and I think it’s a good number. It’s only going to get better and better and bigger, and that’s what we’re trying to do here.”
Since Svechnikov left Raleigh, not long after the Hurricanes lost to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the team has made some major acquisitions. The Canes brought in free-agent forward Nikolaj Ehlers and traded for defenseman K’Andre Miller.
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“I’m very excited,” Svechnikov said. “I think we got a lot better this offseason. Obviously we’ve got to get together and build the chemistry and all that stuff, and the new guys got to learn the system. But they’re some of the best players in this league and excited to have them and see how it’s going to work for us.”
Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov poses for a photo after session of the team’s First Goal Program at Invisalign Arena in Morrisville on August 9, 2025.
Ehlers, highly sought in the free-agent market, and Miller each signed long-term contracts with the Canes — Ehlers for six years and Miller for eight. They joined a core of players that general manager Eric Tulsky has locked in, a group that now includes forward Jackson Blake.
Svechnikov smiled when it was mentioned Blake, a rookie winger last season, agreed to an eight-year, $45 million contract extension late last month.
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“Blakey, eight years. Rich for now, but he’s an amazing player and he’s only going to get better because he’s so young. He’s a legit player for sure,” Svechnikov said.
Since Svechnikov was drafted in 2018, the No. 2 overall pick, the Canes have reached the playoffs in each of his seven seasons. Three times they have reached the Eastern Conference final, only to be ousted — first by the Boston Bruins in 2019 and then by the Panthers in 2023 and again this past season.
The Panthers now have back-to-back championships. That’s what Svechnikov wants so badly: to hold up the Cup, to be the champions.
“I don’t know if I can put it into words but obviously it’s your biggest dream,” he said. “You’re getting drafted and playing the junior hockey you go through all that time, and playing seven years in the NHL, and all the time you want to get the Cup.
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“I think the last playoff was the hardest one to lose, kind of, because you have a good team and you try to reach for your goal and it just doesn’t happen. But we’ve got a new year and we’ve got a new opportunity.”
With that, it was back to the ice, back to the kids. The First Goal program, in its eighth year, is a league-wide initiative partnered locally by the Hurricanes, NHL and NHL Players Association.
“Every team in the league is saying how do we generate more players to play this game,” said Shane Willis, the Canes’ director of youth hockey and community outreach. “We’re able to keep it to a very low cost because the teams are contributing, the NHLPA and obviously great players like Andrei Svechnikov, who helped us out.
“All the kids are wearing No. 37 for a reason. They’re looking up to him as their hero and one day may put on a Hurricanes jersey and be just like him. To get him to come out is a true thrill for all these kids.”