Jack Kelley: May 6, 1977 – April 2, 1981

Larry Pleau: April 2, 1981 – May 2, 1983

Emile Francis: May 2, 1983 – May 11, 1989
Francis was named president and general manager, and he remained team president when Eddie Johnston was named general manager.

Eddie Johnston: May 11, 1989 – May 12, 1992

Brian Burke: May 26, 1992 – Sept. 1, 1993
Burke resigned to join the NHL’s front office as the league’s executive vice president and director of hockey operations.

Paul Holmgren: Sept. 8, 1993 – June 28, 1994

Jim Rutherford: June 28, 1994 – April 28, 2014
Rutherford was named team president when Ron Francis took over as general manager.

Ron Francis: April 28, 2014 – March 7, 2018

Don Waddell: May 8, 2018 – Present

Don Blackburn: October 11, 1979 – February 20, 1981
Record: 42-63-35 (119 points, .425)
Blackburn was replaced by Larry Pleau after opening the 1980-81 season with a 15-29-16 record.

Larry Pleau: February 20, 1981 – June 2, 1982
Record: 27-53-20 (74 points, .370)

Larry Kish: June 2, 1982 – January 24, 1983
Record: 12-32-5 (29 points, .296)
Larry Kish was replaced by Larry Pleau after opening the 1982-83 season with a 12-32-5 record.

Larry Pleau: January 24 – March 7, 1983
Record: 4-13-1 (9 points, .250)
Pleau remained in his role as the Whalers’ general manager through the end of the season.

John Cunniff: March 7 – April 3, 1983
Record: 3-9-1 (7 points, .269)

Jack Evans: September 17, 1983 – February 6, 1988
Record: 163-174-37 (363 points, .485)
Evans was replaced by Larry Pleau after opening the 1987-88 season with a 22-25-7 record.

Larry Pleau: February 7, 1988 – May 16, 1989
Record: 50-51-5 (105 points, .495)

Rick Ley: October 12, 1989 – May 29, 1991
Record: 69-71-20 (158 points, .494)

Jim Roberts: September 7, 1991 – June 15, 1992
Record: 26-41-13 (65 points, .406)

Paul Holmgren: June 15, 1992 – November 16, 1993
Record: 30-63-8 (68 points, .337)
Holmgren stepped aside to perform general manager duties.

Pierre McGuire: November 16, 1993 – May 19, 1994
Record: 23-37-7 (53 points, .368)

Paul Holmgren: January 21 – November 6, 1995
Record: 24-30-6 (54 points, .450)
Holmgren was replaced by Paul Maurice after starting the 1995-96 season with a 5-6-1 record.

Paul Maurice: November 6, 1995 – December 16, 2003
Record: 273-290-95-17 (658 points, .487)
Maurice was relieved of his coaching duties after beginning the 2003-04 season with an 8-14-8 record.

Peter Laviolette: December 15, 2003 – December 3, 2008
Record: 167-122-6-28 (368 points, .570)
Laviolette was relieved of his coaching duties after beginning the 2008-09 season with a 12-11-2 record.

Paul Maurice: December 3, 2008 – November 28, 2011
Record: 128-111-32 (288 points, .531)
Maurice was relieved of his coaching duties after beginning the 2011-12 season with an 8-13-4 record.

Kirk Muller: November 28, 2011 – May 5, 2014
Record: 80-80-27 (187 points, .500)

Bill Peters: June 19, 2014 – April 20, 2018
Record: 137-138-53 (327 points, .498)
Peters resigned as head coach.

Rod Brind’Amour: May 8, 2018 – Present
Record entering 2023-24: 226-107-37 (489 points, .661)
Brind’Amour won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top head coach in 2020-21, becoming the first head coach to receive the honor with Hartford/Carolina.

(List is sorted by points percentage.)

Rod Brind’Amour (5/8/18 to present):
Regular Season: 226-107-37 in 370 games (489 points, .661)
Playoffs: 32-31 in 63 games (.508)

Peter Laviolette (12/15/03 to 12/3/08):
Regular Season: 167-122-6-28 in 323 games (368 points, .570)
Playoffs: 16-9 in 25 games (.640)

Kirk Muller (11/28/11 to 5/5/14):
Regular Season: 80-80-27 in 187 games (187 points, .500)

Bill Peters (6/19/14 to 4/20/18):
Regular Season: 137-138-53 in 328 games (327 points, .498)

Paul Maurice (11/6/95 to 12/15/03, 12/3/08 to 11/28/11):
Regular Season: 384-391-99-46 in 920 games (913 points, .496)
Playoffs: 25-28 in 53 games (.472)

Rick Ley (10/12/89 to 5/29/91):
Regular Season: 69-71-20 in 160 games (158 points, .494)
Playoffs: 5-8 in 13 games (.385)

Jack Evans (9/17/83 to 2/6/88):
Regular Season: 163-174-37 in 374 games (363 points, .485)
Playoffs: 8-8 in 16 games (.500)

Don Blackburn (10/11/79 to 2/20/81):
Regular Season: 42-63-35 in 140 games (119 points, .425)
Playoffs: 0-3 in 3 games (.000)

Larry Pleau (2/20/81 to 6/2/82, 1/24/83 to 3/7/83, 2/7/88 to 5/16/89):
Regular Season: 81-117-26 in 224 games (188 points, .420)
Playoffs: 2-8 in 10 games (.200)

Jim Roberts (9/7/91 to 6/15/92):
Regular Season: 26-41-13 in 80 games (65 points, .406)
Playoffs: 3-4 in 7 games (.429)

Paul Holmgren (6/15/92 to 11/16/93, 1/21/95 to 11/6/95):
Regular Season: 54-93-14 in 161 games (122 points, .379)

Pierre McGuire (11/16/93 to 5/19/94):
Regular Season: 23-37-7 in 67 games (53 points, .368)

Larry Kish (6/2/82 to 1/24/83):
Regular Season: 12-32-5 in 49 games (29 points, .296)

John Cunniff (3/7/83 to 4/3/83):
Regular Season: 3-9-1 in 13 games (7 points / .269)

Rick Ley: 1979 – January 1981

Mike Rogers: January 1981 – October 1981
Rick Ley was out indefinitely, and Rogers was named captain through a secret ballot on the team plane. Rogers was traded to the New York Rangers on October 2, 1981.

Dave Keon: 1981-82
Keon retired after the 1981-82 season.

Russ Anderson: 1982-83
Anderson signed with the Los Angeles Kings as a free agent on September 2, 1983.

Mark Johnson: 1983-84 – February 21, 1985
Johnson was traded to the St. Louis Blues on February 21, 1985.

Ron Francis: February 21, 1985 – March 4, 1991
Francis was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 4, 1991.

Randy Ladouceur: 1991-92

Pat Verbeek: 1992-93 – March 23, 1995
Randy Ladouceur was stripped of the captaincy in favor of Verbeek, who was traded to the New York Rangers on March 23, 1995.

Brendan Shanahan: 1995-96
Shanahan was traded to the Detroit Red Wings on October 9, 1996.

Kevin Dineen: 1996-97 – 1997-98

Keith Primeau: 1998-99 – January 23, 2000
Kevin Dineen was stripped of the captaincy in favor of Primeau, who was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers on January 23, 2000.

Ron Francis: January 23, 2000 – March 9, 2004
Francis was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 9, 2004.

Rod Brind’Amour: 2005-06 – January 20, 2010
Brind’Amour was stripped of the captaincy as part of the franchise’s rebuilding process.

Eric Staal: January 20, 2010 – February 28, 2016
Staal was traded to the New York Rangers on February 28, 2016.

The Hurricanes did not name a captain for the 2016-17 season. Justin Faulk, Victor Rask, Jeff Skinner and Jordan Staal all served as alternate captains.

Justin Faulk and Jordan Staal: 2017-18
Faulk and Staal served as co-captains for one season.

Justin Williams: 2018-19
Williams had re-signed with Carolina as a free agent entering the 2017-18 campaign and was entering his seventh career season with the Hurricanes.

Jordan Staal: 2019-20 – Present
Justin Williams took a leave of absence from the team at the start of the 2019-20 season.