The NHL preseason is shorter than ever in 2026-27, but it's still not short enough for Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour.
"Guys just want to play. Guys just want to drop the puck and start for real," Brind'Amour told TSN's "OverDrive" on Monday. "They don't like practicing - nobody does."
When asked if he thinks preseason could be eliminated altogether, the coach of the reigning Stanley Cup champions agreed.
"Yep, for sure," Brind'Amour said.
He added: "I'd sooner go to 86 games and zero preseason if that's the way we're going. ... Guys are in such good shape now. ... Why waste the games on the fans that don't count? Let's play the ones for real."
Each NHL team is playing four games over eight days this preseason under the new collective bargaining agreement. Teams previously played six-to-eight preseason games.
Brind'Amour noted there are fewer roster battles than there were in previous eras.
"It's not like even I remember, there was always spots available. There was 10 guys maybe that you knew were on the team, then there was a couple guys that were fighting for a spot here, maybe even a goalie spot might've been open," Brind'Amour said. "That doesn't happen now hardly ever. The team's picked."
However, Brind'Amour did indicate that the Hurricanes have a spot up for grabs this year with restricted free-agent defenseman Alexander Nikishin holding out of camp. Nikishin is reportedly seeking a trade.
The NHL regular season expanded from 82 games under the previous CBA to 84 games for the upcoming campaign.
