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New York Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Inside the Hurricanes' pursuit of Nikolaj Ehlers: How Carolina landed the top UFA
Eric Tulsky was working from home, coordinating the Carolina Hurricanes' free-agency push from his living room. Sweeping renovations to the Lenovo Center in Raleigh meant that Tulsky was seated on his recliner when Nikolaj Ehlers' agent, Andre Rufener, called to share Ehlers' decision. Tulsky knew the call was coming, advised by a text two hours earlier, but popped forward in his seat to answer his phone. Carolina had coveted Ehlers for years. The Hurricanes discussed trading for him if they could. They'd circled his name long before free agency opened; then, when Ehlers made it to July 1 without a contract after 10 seasons in Winnipeg, the Hurricanes had made an aggressive recruitment pitch. Advertisement Tulsky felt confident in his team's efforts to sign Ehlers. He'd been impressed by Ehlers' thorough homework about the Hurricanes organization, including the team's cap outlook, the city of Raleigh, and the history of the club. He knew that Ehlers had spoken at length with Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen and head coach Rod Brind'Amour. It seemed that things had gone well, but Carolina was not Ehlers' only option. Ehlers and Rufener had spoken with multiple teams since July 1, including lengthy conversations with Washington and Colorado. 'You make your best pitch, but with a highly sought-after free agent, it's always possible that the player will decide that some other opportunity suits them better,' Tulsky told The Athletic. 'You just have to wait and hope to get a call with good news.' Rufener's call came shortly after 3 p.m. ET on July 3. Tulsky jumped up in his chair, moved his laptop aside, and unplugged his well-worked phone from its charger, prepared to pace his customary laps around his living room and sun room as he spoke. 'Andre had a glowingly positive tone in his voice when he said, 'Hello, my friend.' My first thought was, 'I'm going to be pretty shocked if that's how he delivers bad news.'' Frederik Andersen and Nikolaj Ehlers have played together before, most recently earning Denmark a spot in the 2026 Olympic Games. Their dads, Heinz Ehlers and Ernst Andersen, also played together on Team Denmark in the 1990s — back when Denmark played in the 'B' group of the World Championships. The moment Andersen found out that Carolina was recruiting Ehlers, the Hurricanes' netminder reached out with a text. 'I made Nikolaj aware that whatever questions he had, I'm willing to answer and give my take on my experience in Carolina and the city of Raleigh,' Andersen said. Advertisement When Ehlers took him up on his offer, it became clear to Andersen that Ehlers was primarily interested in the Hurricanes' potential to win the Stanley Cup. It's Andersen's view that Carolina is well-positioned as a contender — not just in the short term, when the 35-year-old goaltender will be able to help — but for the next several seasons. Carolina has won at least one playoff round for five straight seasons, making it to the Eastern Conference final in 2023 and 2025. Andersen looks at the quality of the team the Hurricanes have now, the number of their quality players in their prime, and abundant cap space and sees a winner. Ehlers had always known Andersen liked Raleigh — he'd signed and re-signed there and spoken highly of Carolina. As they spoke on the phone during free agency, Andersen could see that Ehlers saw the Hurricanes as a winner, too. 'I think it was his priority to go to a team that had aspirations to be the last team standing,' Andersen said. There were easier routes for Ehlers to choose. He could have gotten more money from non-contending teams. He could have picked a team such as Washington, where the city has a direct flight to Copenhagen. There is also the perception that Ehlers could have chosen an 'easier' head coach. 'Rod preaches that hard work comes first,' Andersen said. 'We have a lot of skilled guys and we do forecheck (hard), but I don't think it's right to say that's all we do. Rod's philosophy is that we can sustain it for long enough for the other team to show a crack in the armor. That's when the skill has room to move.' Ehlers plays hockey at a frantic pace. He's unpredictable in a way that breaks defenders down — an elite scorer in terms of points per minute, particularly at even strength — and creates quality scoring chances for himself and his teammates. Advertisement What Ehlers is not is a heavy forechecker. So there was a perception heading into free agency that, despite his offensive talents, Ehlers might not fit into Carolina's puck-hounding style of play. But the more Brind'Amour spoke to Ehlers, the more Carolina's head coach felt the two men had in common. Brind'Amour figures he had the easy job. He'd never met Ehlers before speaking with him — at length, multiple times — over the course of Carolina's pitch. 'We called as soon as we could, right when he hit free agency,' Brind'Amour told The Athletic by phone. 'I've never met him, so we were really just trying to get to know each other. I'm just trying to express how we think he's going to fit. That's the hockey part. The personal part, we connected for a good, long conversation.' A reference to Andersen opened up a conversation about their shared Olympic experiences. As the conversation opened up, turning more personal, Ehlers talked about how he'd loved Winnipeg but wanted a new challenge. Brind'Amour was in his ninth season with the Flyers and had just turned 30 when Philadelphia traded him to Carolina; he won a Stanley Cup six years later. He's also stayed in Carolina for 25 years and counting. If anyone is ideally positioned to speak to Ehlers about moving to Raleigh at this stage of his life, it's him. Brind'Amour wanted to make a few points clear about playing for the Hurricanes. The first was that he saw a need for Ehlers' skill set on the roster. 'It's about what he can do when he has the puck,' Brind'Amour said. 'A lot of his goals are created in the O-zone, with him hanging on to pucks and making plays. We could always use more talented players that have that poise, the know-how, and the speed at which he plays.' The second is that Carolina could provide opportunity. Brind'Amour views team points leader Sebastian Aho as Ehlers' ideal centreman, with several good choices to play on Ehlers' opposite wing. Brind'Amour and Ehlers discussed the Hurricanes' power play, which ranked 25th last season. Ehlers will be a big part of it, counted upon for entries as well as his skills once Carolina has the puck inside the zone. Advertisement Ehlers will start on the Hurricanes' top unit. 'I think that's going to be a huge component to his game for us,' Brind'Amour said. 'Puck retrievals, keeping pucks alive. Zone time is a premium and that's something he does really well.' Ehlers' total minutes may not skyrocket in Carolina: Hurricanes forwards tend to play between Aho's 13:35 and Jack Drury's 10:06 per game at five-on-five. It's a much tighter spread than the Jets: at five-on-five, Winnipeg's forwards ranged between Mark Scheifele at 16:05 and David Gustafsson at 8:01 per game. But there will be room to grow as one of the team's top forwards. 'You're not bringing him in to play down your lineup,' Brind'Amour said. 'I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do with Sebastian … with that gifted offensive thought process, you've got to think it would be a formidable pair.' Another point Brind'Amour, Tulsky, and the Hurricanes wanted to convey was that they hoped Ehlers would consider the full life of his contract in making his decision. They were able to point to the Hurricanes' record — best in the NHL over the past five seasons — as well as their abundant cap room. They pointed to their stability as an organization, citing Brind'Amour's status as the third-longest tenured head coach in the league. Brind'Amour and Ehlers spoke several times, including on the morning of July 3. Brind'Amour was at the rink, getting in his daily workout before taking a two-hour drive with his family to a beach they like. By this point, it felt to Brind'Amour like he and Ehlers had developed an understanding of each other, but he knew that Ehlers still had a huge decision to make. 'He had a lot of options, but I believed in what I was saying,' Brind'Amour said. 'I know we have a great spot here. He's the one that had a tough decision, not me. … He's a no-brainer to add to our group.' Advertisement Brind'Amour and Ehlers said goodbye, with the coach heading to the beach and the player en route to finalizing his decision. A few hours later, Brind'Amour got the text from Tulsky. It became clear to Tulsky early in the process that Ehlers' decision would not be about who would emerge as the highest bidder. Rufener had shared Ehlers' contract hopes right out of the gate. Almost everything that came afterward was about Ehlers choosing the fit that suited him best. There was uncertainty throughout the process. There was also a recent retention miss that could have distracted the Hurricanes from their goal, with Mikko Rantanen deciding not to extend with the Hurricanes so soon after they acquired him from Colorado. Tulsky believed in his team's pitch; he also believed in the long list of players who had signed and re-signed with Carolina in recent seasons. So when the phone rang on July 3 and Tulsky jumped up from his couch, he was excited. 'It is exhilarating anytime you have the chance to add a player this talented,' Tulsky said. 'Players make their own decisions in free agency for a wide variety of reasons, but I know that what we have built and continue to build here is special.' Rufener told Tulsky that Ehlers was in at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. Tulsky hung up the phone, elated, then sent messages to his full management team, plus Brind'Amour, Hurricanes PR and owner Tom Dundon, before calling Ehlers to welcome him to the franchise. Andersen got a text from Ehlers that said 'See you in September!' and called Ehlers to celebrate. Brind'Amour got the text on his way to the beach. Ehlers called Jets coaching, management and ownership the next day, then gave his first Hurricanes media availability on Saturday morning. 'I'm very excited about the team in Carolina,' Ehlers said to kick things off. 'I talked to Rod and we had kind of the same vision about how things are going to go. The talks that I've had with the people in the Canes organization is something that really excited me.' (Top photo of Shayne Gostisbehere, Nikolaj Ehlers and Frederik Andersen: James Guillory / Imagn Images)
Globe and Mail
04-07-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Nikolaj Ehlers signs six-year, $51-million contract with Carolina Hurricanes
The long wait for Nikolaj Ehlers' free agent decision is over. Ehlers decided Thursday to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes, taking the top player available off the market more than 72 hours since the NHL's signing period began. Ehlers agreed to terms on a six-year, US$51-million contract. He'll count US$8.5-million against the salary cap through 2031. He's coming off being nearly a point-a-game player with 63 in 69. 'Nikolaj was the top free agent available on July 1, and we are proud that he's chosen to make Carolina his home,' general manager Eric Tulsky said. 'He's a highly skilled winger who can really skate and will fit very well with our forward group.' It turned out to be worth the wait for the speedy 29-year-old winger from Denmark who played his first 10 seasons with Winnipeg. Ehlers' contract is the most lucrative of any signed by an unrestricted free agent who left his team this week and $250,000 more than Brock Boeser got to re-sign with Vancouver. The only bigger contracts have been K'Andre Miller's eight years and US$60-million – also with Carolina in a sign and trade from the New York Rangers – and Ivan Provorov staying with Columbus for US$59.5-million over the next seven seasons. 'From first-round pick to the highest-scoring Danish player in NHL history, and all the countless memories in between, thank you for everything, Fly,' the Jets posted on social media. 'All the best in Carolina.' Ehlers joins a core that has reached the playoffs seven consecutive seasons under coach Rod Brind'Amour with two trips to the Eastern Conference final over the past three springs. Carolina still has US$10-million in cap space with just about a full roster, providing flexibility to fill holes between now and the trade deadline in March. Signing Ehlers could start dominos falling around the league as teams who did not get him – among them, the Washington Capitals – turn to backup plans. That includes potential trades, with Pittsburgh actively in selling mode, along with remaining free agents. The Capitals pivoted nearly immediately to bringing back winger Anthony Beauvillier on a two-year, US$5.5-million deal. Elsewhere on Thursday, Dmitry Orlov is heading to the spend-happy San Jose Sharks, who have been active this week and even made a pickup off the waiver wire to reach the salary floor. Orlov, who turns 34 later this month, signed a two-year contract worth US$13-million. A Stanley Cup champion from his time in Washington who spent the past two seasons in Carolina, the veteran defenceman will count US$6.5-million against the cap through 2026-27. Orlov is the latest addition for the Sharks, who needed to add US$20-million somehow to get to the US$70.6-million minimum for player salaries. That counts money owed to captain Logan Couture, whose playing career is over because of a debilitating injury. San Jose also claimed Nick Leddy off waivers from St. Louis to add to its new-look blue line that includes recently signed veteran John Klingberg, who got US$4-million for next season. 'Klingberg was someone we had targeted for a little while now,' general manager Mike Grier said earlier this week. 'We need someone who can run a power play. We think, as he showed he was getting healthier and healthier this year and another year out from his hip [surgery], I think he'll be even better' Leddy also has a year left on his contract at a cap hit of US$4-million, with US$3-million in actual dollars owed. Orlov is the only experienced defenceman San Jose has signed beyond 2026. Brent Burns, who played alongside Orlov the past two seasons with the Hurricanes, agreed to terms with Colorado on Wednesday night to a one-year contract worth US$1-million with up to US$3-million more attainable through performance bonuses. The 40-year-old, who won the Norris Trophy as top defenceman in 2017, is set to become the 23rd player in league history to play at least 22 seasons. 'I just love it: I love coming to the rink every day and working,' said Burns, who is three games shy of reaching 1,500 in the regular season over his career. 'It really is the best. You're around guys that they're chasing one goal and there's just something special about it: all the laughs and the working hard together. It's really special to try to build something together, and I just enjoy that process.'
Reuters
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Hurricanes sign F Nikolaj Ehlers to 6-year, $51M deal
July 3 - The Carolina Hurricanes signed forward Nikolaj Ehlers on Thursday to a six-year, $51 million contract with an average annual value of $8.5 million through the 2030-31 season. "Nikolaj was the top free agent available on July 1, and we are proud that he's chosen to make Carolina his home," Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said, referencing the opening of the league year on Tuesday. "He's a highly-skilled winger who can really skate and will fit very well with our forward group." Ehlers, 29, has spent his entire NHL career with the Winnipeg Jets and has scored at least 21 goals in eight of his 10 seasons. He collected 63 points (24 goals, career best-tying 39 assists), a plus-14 rating, 33 blocks and 38 hits while averaging 15:48 of ice time in 69 regular-season games last season as the Jets finished with a league-high 116 points and 56 wins. He also recorded seven points (five goals, two assists) in eight postseason games. Winnipeg selected the native of Denmark with the ninth overall pick of the 2014 NHL Draft. He has 225 career goals, 295 assists, a plus-106 rating, 245 blocks and 336 hits in 674 regular-season games for the Jets since the 2015-16 campaign. Ehlers has an additional nine goals, 12 assists, a minus-8 rating, 22 blocks and 52 hits in 45 career playoff games. --Field Level Media
National Post
03-07-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Ehlers leaving Winnipeg for six-year, $51M deal with Hurricanes
RALEIGH, N.C. — Nikolaj Ehlers is waving goodbye to the Winnipeg Jets. Article content The winger signed a six-year, $51-million US contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, the third day of NHL free agency. Article content Article content 'Nikolaj was the top free agent available on July 1, and we are proud that he's chosen to make Carolina his home,' Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said in a statement. 'He's a highly skilled winger who can really skate and will fit very well with our forward group.' Article content The 29-year-old selected ninth overall at the 2014 draft spent a decade in the Manitoba capital, where he put up 225 goals and 295 assists for 520 points in 674 regular-season games. Article content Ehlers added 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 45 playoff contests. Article content The 6-foot, 172-pound Dane has topped 60 points four times in his career despite averaging just 16 minutes 26 seconds of ice time and often only seeing time on Winnipeg's second power-play unit. Article content He scored at least 20 goals in eight of his 10 NHL seasons, including a career-high 29 in 2017-18. Article content The Jets are coming off a campaign that saw them capture the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top regular-season team. Article content Winnipeg advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a dramatic seven-game victory over the St. Louis Blues before losing out to the Dallas Stars 4-2. Article content Ehlers registered five goals and two assists in his eight post-season contests this spring. Article content He has also suited up for Denmark at five world championships and three Olympic qualifying tournaments. Article content
CBC
03-07-2025
- Sport
- CBC
'Top free agent' Ehlers leaves Jets for 6-year, $51M US deal with Hurricanes
Nikolaj Ehlers is waving goodbye to the Winnipeg Jets. The winger signed a six-year, $51-million US contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, the third day of NHL free agency. "Nikolaj was the top free agent available on July 1, and we are proud that he's chosen to make Carolina his home," Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said in a statement. "He's a highly-skilled winger who can really skate and will fit very well with our forward group." The 29-year-old selected ninth overall at the 2014 draft spent a decade in the Manitoba capital, where he put up 225 goals and 295 assists for 520 points in 674 regular-season games. Ehlers added 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 45 playoff contests. He scored at least 20 goals in eight of his 10 NHL seasons, including a career-high 29 in 2017-18. The Jets are coming off a campaign that saw them capture the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top regular-season team. Winnipeg advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a dramatic seven-game victory over the St. Louis Blues before losing out to the Dallas Stars 4-2. Ehlers registered five goals and two assists in his eight post-season contests this spring.
