The 2026 Stanley Cup champions are taking a big swing at local TV. The Carolina Hurricanes announced it will launch its own sports network, making it the new exclusive local television home for Hurricanes hockey after the collapse of its former RSN, FanDuel Sports Network. The network will be owned and operated by Hurricanes Holdings in collaboration with the NHL, with the team handling production, distribution, sales, and marketing.
The move allows the Canes to make sure their games remain easy to find. The team said broadcasts will be available through cable, satellite, and streaming, with the network’s name, branding, distribution partners, channel locations, and direct-to-consumer pricing all to be announced before the regular season begins.
“We’re thrilled to launch our own sports network, and provide consistent access to Hurricanes hockey for our great fans,” said Brian Fork, CEO of Hurricanes Holdings, in a statement. “More than ever before, the organization will have the freedom to deliver innovative programming that strengthens the connection between the team, its fans and its community partners.”
For Caniacs, familiar voices are sticking around, too. Play-by-play announcer Mike Maniscalco and analyst Tripp Tracy will continue calling Hurricanes games on the new network. The team said Maniscalco is entering his 11th season with the Hurricanes and his seventh as the play-by-play voice, while Tracy is entering his 28th season as the club’s television analyst.
This move comes at a moment when the Hurricanes have plenty of momentum. Carolina just came off a record-setting run to their second Stanley Cup championship, and the team said its six-game Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights drew the largest television audience for the series since 2019.
In what’s another sign that the regional sports network model is still unraveling, the Hurricanes’ new setup follows the bankruptcy and restructuring of Main Street Sports Group. The closure of the company behind FanDuel Sports Network has left several teams scrambling to figure out their next TV home.
It isn’t just NHL teams feeling the fallout, as the NBA is dealing with the same kind of uncertainty. The league is closing in on a centralized local streaming hub for the 2027-28 season, with YouTube emerging as a leading candidate.
For now, the Canes are not the only team thinking beyond the old RSN playbook. More details are coming before the puck drop, yet it’s already clear that after years of RSN instability, teams are increasingly looking to control their own broadcasts rather than wait around for the next media rescue.