The Carolina Hurricanes held their highly anticipated end-of-season press conference this morning, with Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour and newly promoted General Manager Eric Tulsky addressing the media for the first time since the team’s elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. While the early exit stung, both men were candid, emotional, and above all else — motivated.

The room was full of tension and expectation as reporters packed into PNC Arena’s media room, eager for answers. Brind’Amour walked in first, his familiar intensity visible in his eyes, followed by Tulsky, who has quickly grown into a prominent front-office voice for the franchise. They took their seats and dove into a conversation that covered everything from injuries, player performance, locker room dynamics, to the blueprint for 2025–26.

Brind’Amour didn’t waste time confronting the obvious. “It wasn’t good enough,” he stated firmly. “We expect better — the players expect better. I know the fans do too. You make it that far, and you don’t finish… yeah, it hurts.”

Tulsky echoed that sentiment but added more detail from the management side. “From a roster construction standpoint, we believed we had the group. There were moments we showed we could beat anyone. But hockey is a game of inches, and sometimes those inches go the other way.”

One of the most revealing moments came when the topic turned to injuries. Brind’Amour reluctantly shared that several key players had been battling through more than the public knew. “We had guys playing on one leg, guys who couldn’t sleep from the pain,” he said. “That’s the level of commitment in that room. It’s why I believe in this group.”

When asked about the future of key free agents and the makeup of the roster going forward, Tulsky kept things balanced but didn’t rule out changes. “We’re proud of this core, but you’re always looking at ways to improve. There are hard decisions ahead — that’s just the reality of a competitive league.”

The emotional peak of the press conference came when Brind’Amour was asked about his own future and whether he still has the same fire to coach this team. Without hesitation, he leaned into the mic and said, “I’m not done. Not even close. As long as this team wants me, I’m here.”

Tulsky backed him up. “Rod is the identity of this team. He sets the standard. There’s zero question about his importance moving forward.”

From prospect development to locker room leadership, both men fielded dozens of questions over nearly an hour. They praised the emergence of younger players, including Seth Jarvis and Pyotr Kochetkov, while acknowledging that veterans like Jordan Staal and Brent Burns may be entering the final chapters of their careers.

“We’re not hitting reset,” Tulsky concluded. “We’re reloading. We owe it to our players, to Rod, and to the fans.”

As the press conference wrapped, one thing was clear — the Hurricanes aren’t content with another second-round exit. And judging by the determination in Brind’Amour and Tulsky’s eyes, this team won’t stay quiet for long