Sebastian Aho named NHL first star of the week, Hurricanes’ first to win since 2017-18
With 11 points in three games, all wins, Sebastian Aho on Monday was named the NHL’s first star of the week — the first Carolina Hurricanes player so honored since Teuvo Teravainen during the 2017-18 season.
“Time flies. 2018?” Aho said. “That’s kind of crazy.”
Not as crazy as Aho’s hot streak. Aho had a goal and three assists in a 5-2 win at the Nashville Predators on Wednesday, four assists in a 5-3 home win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday and wrapped up the week, and 2023, with a goal and two assists in a 3-2 win at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
He was the first Hurricanes player ever to record four points on consecutive days, and the first in the NHL to do it since Jeremy Roenick in 1999. He was also the fourth player in franchise history to record at least three points in three straight games. Eric Staal was the last to do it, in 2005-06.
That was enough to secure the leaguewide honor for the Hurricanes for the first time in more than six years.
“If he isn’t, I don’t know who would have been,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It would have been interesting to see who did more than he did this week. That was a pretty impressive week.”
Throw in a goal to close out the previous week, and Aho leads the Hurricanes and is 15th in the NHL with 42 points in 34 games this season on 15 goals and 27 assists. He also hit the 500-point milestone for his career in the middle of the week. For the Hartford Whalers/Hurricanes, only Ron Francis, Staal and Kevin Dineen have more.
“It means we’ve played well,” Aho said. “We got three big wins against good teams and I’ve played well myself as well. Just try to keep it up.”
Six of Aho’s 11 points came on the Hurricanes’ resurgent power play, which has gone a remarkable 16-for-41 over the past 11 games, clicking at nearly a 40 percent clip to rise to fifth in the NHL. The Hurricanes scored multiple power-play goals in six of those 11 games.
“I’ve been asked, what’s he been doing differently? I would say nothing,” Brind’Amour said. “I don’t see anything different in his game. The passes he’s making, guys are scoring, and when he’s shooting, the puck’s going in.”
Aho was also named first star of the week in February 2017 and is one of six Hurricanes players to win the award since it was introduced during the 2006-07 season, along with Jussi Jokinen, Jeff Skinner, Staal, Teravainen and Cam Ward.
Teravainen was honored in November 2017 for a 10-point week that included a hat trick. He has played a big part in Aho’s recent success as well, with Andrei Svechnikov — four goals and five assists in the past four games, finally rounding into form after the knee injury that prematurely ended his season last March — right there as well.
“As a line, we’ve been playing pretty solid defensively,” Aho said. “We’re not chasing the game. We’re waiting for our own opportunities to come and we’ve been able to produce and that helps keep that mentality. The two-way game has been there. It’s been solid.”
While there was good news for Aho, the update was less promising on Jesper Fast, who left Saturday’s game after taking a high hit along the boards from Noah Gregor. Fast returned from Toronto with the team and was at the practice rink Monday but did not skate with the team and was ruled out for the Hurricanes’ game at the Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers on Tuesday.
“Nothing I can share. He’s going to be out. That I know,” Brind’Amour said. “But I don’t know how long. He’s in here, but he’s not going to play. … I didn’t look at it too closely but obviously it’s a hit to the head. Everybody takes that real seriously now. Not that we didn’t before, but it’s a little different now.”
This story was originally published January 1, 2024 at 1:21 PM.
