The Carolina Hurricanes, who play in the Southeast Division of the National Hockey League's Eastern Conference, are based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They changed their name to the Hurricanes when the Hartford Whalers moved from Connecticut in 1997. The team failed to make the playoffs in their first season as Hurricanes, following three seasons of failure as the Whalers.

The following season, 1998-99, the much improved Hurricanes won their first Division title since 1987 and, on April 24, 1988, they beat the Boston Bruins to win their first playoff game since April 1992. They went on to lose the series against Boston 4-2.

After missing the playoffs once again in the 1999-2000 season, the Hurricanes again made an appearance in 2001, losing once again in the first round, this time to the New Jersey Devils. In the 2001-2002 season, the Hurricanes again won their division and finally clinched their first playoff series in 15 years when Kevin Weekes shut out the Devils in game seven. In the Conference finals, Carolina defeated Montreal Canadiens for the franchise's first post-season series victory against the Habs, and then went on to beat Toronto in the Conference finals. However, in the Stanley Cup Final of 2002, the Hurricanes were beaten by the Detroit Red Wings in five games.

The Hurricanes didn't make the playoffs again until 2006 but then went all the way, beating Montreal, New Jersey, and the Buffalo Sabres in the early rounds. In the Final, the Hurricanes beat the Edmonton Oilers 4 games to 3 with goalie Cam Ward winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as Most Valuable Player. After this Cup win, the Hurricanes failed to make the playoffs in both 2007 and 2008. http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=45638<ref>

In the 2008-2009 season, the Hurricanes qualified for the playoffs with a second-place finish in their division, and went to the Conference Finals, beating both the New Jersey Devils and the Boston Bruins. In each series Carolina won with a goal in overtime of the seventh game. However, their luck couldn't hold and in the Conference Final they came up against the Pittsburgh Penguins who would go to the Final and eventually win the Cup. Sidney Crosby's team swept Carolina 4 games to 0.

At the beginning of March 2010, the Carolina Hurricanes sit 13th in their Conference and are very unlikely to make the playoffs this season.

• 2009: Lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final.
• 2006: Defeated the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup
• 2002: Lost to the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final
• 2001: Lost to the New Jersey Devils in the first round
• 1999: Lost to the Boston Bruins in the first round.