Quote:
Originally Posted by Libertine States
Did the Hurricanes have any miraculous playoff runs like they always seem to do every 3 or so years in the 2000's?
EDIT: Also did they have any financial troubles like in real-life?
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Not sure about financial troubles as I think you can only see that season by season and I fast-simmed a lot of years.
The Hurricanes did have a few deep playoff runs.
CAROLINA HURRICANES
The Canes won 1 Stanley Cup in their history. It came in 2030-31 when they had a dominant club that finished the regular season with a 58-32-1 record for 117 points. It was the first of 4 straight years the team finished the regular season with more than 100 points. However, the most dominant regular season Hurricanes team came a few years earlier with the 2026-27 squad led the NHL with 131 points including 63 victories. That time was primarily made up of fictional players with the exception of a veteran goaltender by the name of Frederik Andersen.
Anderson debuted with the Canes in 2010-11 as a 21 year old and would play until the age of 37. His final year was 2026-27 when he posted a 56-9-5 record with a 1.90 GAA, winning the Jennings Trophy for the only time in his career. He is Carolina's all-time leader in wins with 413.
The 2026-27 Canes came within one game of winning the Cup, falling to Winnipeg in Game Seven of the finals. It was a thrilling run for Canes fans as after beating Toronto in 6 games in the opening round they needed the full seven to eliminate both the Rangers and Buffalo to reach the finals.
The first playoff appearance came in their first year in Carolina - 1997-98 and extended a franchise stretch of 17 straight seasons with a playoff berth going back to the Hartford days. The streak would reach 20 before ending in their fourth season in Carolina.
In 97-98 the Hurricanes made the conference finals despite finishing third in the Northeast Division and fifth overall in the conference. Montreal would beat them 4 straight before the Habs were swept by Detroit in the finals. The following year Carolina again met Montreal in the conference finals, losing in 7 this time as the Habs won the Cup. A second round loss to New Jersey in 1999-2000 preceeded a 3-year playoff drought but Carolina snuck back into the postseason in 2003-04. It was a short stay as Toronto bounced the Hurricanes in the opening round.
There would be some hard times for the Canes as they missed the playoffs the next six years. In 2010-11 Carolina finished first, but just barely over .500 in the weak Southeast Division. It was another quick playoff exit as Montreal dumped the Canes in 5 in the opening round. Carolina was back the following season as they again barely finished over .500 but it was enough to win the Southeast. The Hurricanes beat New Jersey in the first round before falling in 7 games to Montreal in the conference semi-finals.
That led to a 10 year playoff drought as Carolina did not make the postseason again until 2021-22. They had a good young team led by fictional players and finished with the second best record in the conference behind Buffalo. Carolina would beat Pittsburgh in 5 and the Islanders in 6 to set up a conference final showdown with the Sabres. Buffalo won in 6 games and would beat Dallas for the Cup.
The Hurricanes would narrowly miss the playoffs the following season but rebounded in 2023-24 with the start of a playoff streak that would continue until I stopped simming in 2035-36.
In 2023-24 they fell to the Islanders in a 7 game opening round series. The Isles would reach the finals before losing to Edmonton.
2024-25 was another first round loss - this time in 4 straight to the Rangers.
In 2025-26 they beat Ottawa in 6 but lost in the second round four straight to the Islanders who would win their second straight Cup.
In 2026-27 the Hurricanes reached the finals as described earlier before falling in 7 to Winnipeg.
In 2027-28 they lost to Ottawa in Game seven of the conference finals after beating the Rangers in 7 and the Islanders in 6.
In 2028-29 they swept Buffalo before falling in 7 to Philadelphia in the second round.
2029-30 saw another second round exit as eventual Cup winner Tampa eliminated the Canes in 5 after Carolina survived a 7 game opening round series with Buffalo.
2030-31 was their Cup winning season. It started with a 4-game sweep of Ottawa, followed by a win in 6 over the Islanders and 7 games over Florida in the conference finals. Carolina won the Cup with a 4-2 series win over Vancouver.
Florida knocked off the Canes in the opening round the following season. In 2032-33 they lost in 7 games to Columbus in the conference semi-finals after sweeping the Rangers.
In 33-34 it was another 7 game loss in the conference finals- this time to New Jersey after they beat Buffalo in 6 in the opening round.
2034-35 saw Carolina fall in the first round to eventual Cup champion Columbus while 2035-36 was another first round exit at the hands of the eventual Cup champ as Toronto swept the Canes.