Five goalies saw action for the Carolina Hurricanes during their first season in North Carolina. Former Calgary Flames first-round pick Trevor Kidd fared the best, putting up 21 wins along with a respectable goals-against average (2.17) and save percentage (.922).
Of the four other goalies, three gave up an average of 3 goals per game; none had a save percentage above .900. As solid as Kidd was, he wouldn’t be enough. The search for help in goal stretched on until mid-September when Arturs Irbe was signed as a free agent.
Irbe had spent 5 seasons with the San Jose Sharks, molding himself into a reliable goaltender and an icon for the fledgling expansion team.