RALEIGH, NC - The Carolina Hurricanes will open their 2008-09 season at the RBC Center against the Florida Panthers on October 10th at 7pm, the NHL announced Wednesday afternoon. The league announced the home openers for each of its 30 member clubs, and is slated to announce each team’s complete 2008-09 schedule on July 17.

Along with announcing each team’s opener, the NHL also announced each clubs’s “wildcard” opponents.

The Hurricanes will face its divisional opponents – Atlanta, Florida, Tampa Bay and Washington – six times during the season, and its non-divisional conference opponents four times. Carolina will also play every Western Conference team at least once, and will play home-and-home sets with their three “wildcard” Western Conference teams,  the Anaheim Ducks, Phoenix Coyotes and St. Louis Blues.