Hurricanes’ Pyotr Kochetkov out for rest of 2025-26
Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters on Monday that goalie Pyotr Kochetkov is likely to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season after undergoing surgery.
Brind’Amour told team reporter Walt Ruff that the surgery was to address an underlying lower-body injury that he has been playing through this season.
Kochetkov, a 26-year-old from Russia, missed the start of the season with the same ailment. He was expected to start Carolina’s game on Monday before the team announced his injury. In his nine appearances this season, he’s posted a 2.33 goals against average and .899 save percentage.
Third goalie Brandon Bussi has largely carried the load for Carolina as Kochetkov has been sidelined and Frederik Andersen has struggled. Bussi has 12 wins in his 14 outings to go with his NHL-best 2.10 GAA and .912 SV%.
Andersen has faltered after a strong start in October. He’s gone 5-8-2 in his 15 appearances while turning aside shots at a clip of just .869, comfortably the worst mark of his lengthy NHL career.
In a corresponding move to Kochetkov’s placement on injured reserve, the Hurricanes recalled defenseman Gavin Bayreuther from their AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves. Bayreuther is a six-foot-two, 31-year-old native of New Hampshire with 122 games of NHL experience. He last appeared during the 2022-23 season with Columbus. This year, he’s put up 13 points in 24 AHL games with Chicago.
Through 37 games, the Hurricanes own 23-11-3 record that has them in a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference with 49 points, though Carolina has three games in hand on Detroit. The Canes have a three-point lead atop the Metropolitan Division standings.
Carolina exited the holiday break on a high note with a 5-2 win over the Red Wings, and they’ll look to maintain their status atop the division when the New York Rangers roll into Raleigh on Monday night.
Monday’s contest will kick off a brutal slate for the week with Carolina having a quick turnaround to Pittsburgh on Tuesday before hosting Montreal on New Year’s Day followed by another back-to-back against Colorado on Saturday and New Jersey on Sunday.