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Dmitry Orlov Calls Out Hurricanes for Misusing Him: I Just Needed to Get Away'

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 12:21 PM ET

Dmitry Orlov landed with the San Jose Sharks in free agency, and now he's blasted the Carolina Hurricanes for his role over the past few seasons.

Over the past few years, the Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the best regular season teams in the National Hockey League, but when it comes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the team have struggled mightily.

While they added some talent this off-season, they also lost some key pieces, notably on the blue line with the departure of both Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov, and after signing with the San Jose Sharks, the latter has called out the team.

I won't go into details, but we felt this was the best option for this stage of my career. You could say it's a restart. The last two years were tough, especially mentally.

As he mentions, Orlov didn't exactly expand on why the past few years were so tough, but given the way that he believes he was mis-used by Rod Brind'Amour and the Hurricanes, it's safe to say that he's quite happy in a new situation.

After departing a playoff contender for the youngest team in the NHL, Orlov opened up on the chance in San Jose and how his role will change as a veteran on this rising young team.

Now everything will be new: a new team, a different conference, longer flights. I'll need to adapt. It's a young team that finished last season in last place - but that can be fixed. The most important thing is that management supports us and sees the way forward. I'm excited for the challenge. I'll be the oldest player on the team, and my role might change. It'll be interesting to see how the next two years go.

Ultimately, Orlov now has the opportunity to play a huge role in the Sharks taking a leap forward in 2025/26, and while it's a different challenge to what he's had in Carolina over the past few years, he's clearly excited about the opportunity after what he went through with the Hurricanes.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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