The Florida Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 in a preseason matchup on Wednesday night. The Panthers overcame a 2-0 deficit to secure the win.

The Hurricanes dominated the first period with a roster consisting mostly of NHL regulars, while the Panthers primarily fielded an American Hockey League (AHL) roster. Ryan Suzuki, assisted by Andrei Svechnikov and Eric Robinson, put the Hurricanes on the board first. Givani Smith and Ben Harpur engaged in a fight following the goal. Later in the first period, Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored, assisted by Svechnikov and Robinson, extending the Hurricanes' lead to 2-0.

Despite the Hurricanes' initial dominance, the Panthers rallied in the third period. Jay Bouwmeester and Nathan Horton scored early in the third period, breaking the tie.

The game provided a glimpse of what the Hurricanes' first line might look like this season, with Nikolaj Ehlers skating alongside Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis.

Scripps Sports will broadcast 69 of the Panthers' regular-season games and every first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs game. All five of the Panthers' remaining preseason games will also be broadcast on Scripps Sports. The broadcast team will include Steve Goldstein, Randy Moller, Katie Engelson, Jessica Blaylock, and Ed Jovanovski. Every game broadcast will feature a 30-minute pregame show and postgame coverage with player interviews, and new "Primetime Panthers" episodes will air every Wednesday starting October 1.

In other Panthers news, General Manager Bill Zito announced that Matthew Tkachuk is expected to be out until "December-ish" as he recovers from surgery. The Florida Panthers enter the 2025-2026 season as two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.