Sebastian Aho’s Stellar Play Earns Him 1st Star of the Week

Aho was asked after the Maple Leafs game if he was conscious of this moment. “Yeah, definitely the best stretch in three games,” he said in the post-game press scrum. “Especially in my NHL career.” In those three games, his playmaking ability took center stage – of the Hurricanes’ 13 goals last week, he factored in on 11 of them.

Along with Aho, New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin was named the second star, and New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes stood third on the podium.

Hurricanes Power Play

It seems impossible that Aho could have achieved this honor if he didn’t center the Hurricanes’ top power-play unit. Six of his points came on the man advantage. As of this writing, the team’s power play ranks fifth in the NHL with a 26.6 percent success rate. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour doesn’t number his lines, but even he would have to admit that the team’s number one unit features the Finnish-born center.

Alongside Michael Bunting, Seth Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov, and Brent Burns, Aho’s power-play unit is getting close to a guaranteed conversion. Asked after the Maple Leafs game if there’s a difference in his play during a streak like this, Aho responded, “You have more confidence making plays and even more patience to let the game happen for you. The power play has been good.”

Aho a Returning Star

As a teenager in 2017, Aho achieved a similar feat. Coming out of that season’s All-Star break, he became the first Hurricanes rookie in more than 15 years to record a hat trick in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 31.

Aho pointed to his linemates when he learned about the first-star honors. “As a line, we’ve been playing pretty solid defensively,” he said to team reporter Walt Ruff. “We’re not chasing the game. We’re kind of waiting for the opportunities to come, and obviously, we’ve been able to produce.”

He becomes only the third player to be named First Star of the Week twice as a Hurricane, alongside Jeff Skinner and former captain Eric Staal. Cam Ward, Jussi Jokinen, and Teuvo Teravainen have also been named First Star of the Week since the league introduced the award in 2006-07.

Aho’s 500th Point

Aho also passed his 500th career point last week. His transformation into the Human Torch has overshadowed a career milestone that deserves a little more celebration. His power-play goal 9:50 into the first period against the Predators wasn’t just another day at the office. It was another step toward the franchise’s record book.

He’s only the fourth Hurricane to reach 500 points in franchise history. The only players in front of him are Ron Francis (1,175), Eric Staal (775), and Kevin Dineen (544). Even head coach Rod Brind’Amour had only 473 points in his career with the Hurricanes. There is a slight chance that Aho could pass Dineen to become third all-time, and he could pass Dineen for the third spot in franchise goals before the season is over – Dineed scored 250 goals, which means Aho only needs 19 more goals to pass him.

Importance of Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho Getting 500th Point – Zach Martin

No matter how much I’d love to see it, Aho is probably not setting a new career benchmark. At some point, his play will come down to earth. Then again, I could be wrong, and we could be witnessing his evolution. Either way, 42 points in 34 games is a welcome development for the 26-year-old.