Seth Jarvis wins MVP from Carolina PHWA; Aho wins Vasicek Award for media cooperation
The evolution of Seth Jarvis continues, and for the first time, the Carolina Hurricanes’ fourth-year forward has been recognized as the team’s most valuable player.
Jarvis, who in eight fewer games equaled last season’s output of 67 regular-season points while becoming a penalty-killing machine, has been named the Canes’ MVP by the Carolina chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association.
“I’ve got a lot of stuff I want to get better at and work on,” Jarvis said. “That’s the most exciting part for me. I know there’s a lot of steps I can take to grow my game and hopefully take those right steps to get there. It’s really fun when you don’t really know what your limit is and work every day to get toward it, and that’s where my head’s at right now.”
In 73 regular-season games, Jarvis scored 32 goals — five times shorthanded, among the NHL leaders — and added 35 assists while playing nearly 20 minutes per game. Jarvis was second on the team in shots with 204, second in shooting percentage among regular contributors at 15.7 percent, and second in power play goals and power play points.
But beyond his raw offensive stats, Jarvis is relied upon for his grit and tenacity. He blocked 51 shots this season for the Canes, and dished out 93 hits. Jarvis, 23, also was the youngest player named to Canada’s roster for the Four Nations tournament in February.
Jarvis sat out the Canes’ final two games of the regular season, but is expected to be a full go for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which begin Sunday with Game 1 slated for 3 p.m. at Lenovo Center against the New Jersey Devils.
Sebastian Aho earns Vasicek Award
Sebastian Aho, last year’s team MVP as chosen by the PHWA, will again receive hardware this season. Aho was announced Sunday as the recipient of the 2025 Josef Vasicek Award, named for the former Canes forward who died in a plane crash in September 2011 while playing in Russia’s KHL.
Aho is an alternate captain for the Hurricanes. Now in his ninth season with the Canes, Aho has been selected as the team’s MVP six times, and has often been a willing spokesperson for the team and its players, regardless of a game’s outcome.
“Obviously it’s part of the business and I definitely feel more comfortable these days than nine years ago when I got in the league,” Aho said. “Seeing more and having a little bit of experience in certain areas of the game, or out of the game, wherever, I feel like I’m able to give better answers. I think it’s just natural to be more comfortable, with you guys, speaking English.”
Brent Burns wins Steve Chiasson Award
His Hurricanes teammates voted Brent Burns the winner of the Steve Chiasson Award, the team award that recognizes determination, dedication and a player who is “an inspiration to his teammates.” Burns also won the Chiasson Award in 2023.
The 39-year-old defenseman played in all 82 games of his 21st NHL season and has the second-longest active and fourth-longest overall NHL consecutive-games streak at 925.
“Anytime it comes from the boys, I think that means a lot,” Burns said. “Part of being around, you just try to maybe help out in little ways. I’ve learned my routine has really helped me throughout my time, but it took a long time to learn it and change things. Being around a lot of great players before me, part of that is trying to pass it down.”
Chiasson was a charter member of the Hurricanes when they moved from Hartford in 1998 and was killed in a vehicle crash immediately after the team was eliminated from the playoffs in 1999. While his number is not officially retired, no Hurricanes player has worn his No. 3 since.
“It’s pretty obvious what he’s given in the game, and just his day-to-day, and how hard he works, and what he plays through, and just playing that long, it’s not easy to do,” said Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal, a three-time Chiasson winner. “It’s physically, but even more mentally, a grind to play at that level.”
This story was originally published April 19, 2025 at 2:00 PM.
