Aho driven by wins, not personal numbers for Hurricanes

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Sebastian Aho wasn't satisfied.

The Carolina Hurricanes center scored a dazzling overtime goal against the Chicago Blackhawks, leaving defenseman Brent Seabrook flailing on the ice in his wake before outwaiting former teammate Cam Ward and sliding the puck between his pads.
But the soft-spoken 21-year-old expects more of himself, which was reflected in one of his first comments following the Hurricanes' 3-2 victory on Nov. 11.
"Actually, this night was not my best," he said. "I wasn't happy at all. But a good end."
Aho says similar when asked if he's pleased with his play this season. Skating on the top line with Micheal Ferland and Teuvo Teravainen, he leads the Hurricanes with 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in 20 games, but he cares more about their 9-8-3 record.
"I'd rather win," he said. "That's what we're doing here, winning hockey games. So, no."
That's why the Hurricanes believe they have something special in Aho, a potential future captain they're trying to sign to a long-term contract extension. Behind Aho's humble demeanor, they see a fierce competitor who is driven to make himself and his team better.
"You see an impact player and you see a guy who is not satisfied with being just a good player," Hurricanes captain Justin Williams said. "He wants to be a great player."
Aho, a native of Rauma, Finland and the Hurricanes' second-round pick (No. 35) in the 2015 NHL Draft, is already pretty good. After finishing second on Carolina (behind Jeff Skinner, 63 points) with 24 goals and 49 points in 82 games as a rookie in 2016-17, he led the Hurricanes with 29 goals and 65 points (one more than Taravainen) in 78 games last season.
He's further elevated his play this season, getting at least one assist in Carolina's first 12 games to tie Wayne Gretzky (1982-93) and Ken Linseman (1985-86) for the NHL record for the longest assist streak at the start of a season. He has points in 16 of the Hurricanes' 20 games.

A move from wing to center late last season has given Aho more opportunities to carry the puck and use his playmaking ability. He's worked hard on face-offs, winning 50 percent this season, up from 45.3 last season, and says he's comfortable in the middle now.
"It's my spot now," Aho said. "It's not new anymore or anything. So, I'm a center now."
Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour isn't as sure.
With center Victor Rask nearing his return from right hand surgery, Brind'Amour is considering moving Aho back to the wing, which might give him more opportunities to score goals.
That might be what's best for the Hurricanes, who are 27th in the NHL with an average of 2.60 goals per game. Regardless of Aho's position, Brind'Amour believes he hasn't reached his ceiling, yet.
"I think he's got a whole other level because he's still figuring it out away from the puck," Brind'Amour said. "If you want a guy who's going to get 120 points, maybe he could be one of those guys. For this group, what we need is a guy to be able to play both ways because I don't think we're going to outscore teams. He's still figuring that part out.
"That takes time, but his will to win is what's going to make him exceptional."
Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine saw that playing against Aho at the junior level and in the Finnish Liiga in 2015-16. Laine was with Tappara that season, when an 18-year-old Aho led Karpat and finished ninth in the league with 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists) in 45 games.
As linemates, Aho and Laine helped Finland win the gold medal at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship in Helsinki.
"He's probably one of the best players I ever played with," Laine said. "It's pretty easy to play with him. He's that kind of player that already knows, before he gets the puck, where it's going next. And he's one of the smartest players I've ever played with and that I've ever seen. I think that's probably his best asset."
Laine said Aho, "doesn't make too much noise," which probably contributes to him having a lower profile. Playing for the Hurricanes, who haven't qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2009, also is a factor.
"We don't have the media attention that other markets have," Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said. "Other teams know how good he is because they always match up and put their best again him. But I think from a media standpoint and people really knowing around the League, he flies under the radar."
Still, Waddell recognizes how important Aho is to the Hurricanes. He's been talking with his agent, Gerry Johannson, about an extension since the summer.
Aho, who is in the final season of his three-year entry-level contract, would become a restricted free agent on July 1 if he doesn't sign an extension before then. He declined to discuss his contract other than to say, "I want to stay here."

Waddell said both sides want a long-term deal but agreed to temporarily halt negotiations in October in hope that Aho's market price will become better defined in the coming weeks. Although Waddell didn't mention Toronto Maple Leafs restricted free agent William Nylander by name, the 22-year-old forward has to sign by Dec. 1 to be eligible to play in the NHL this season, and his contract might impact Aho's.
"There are some players that are waiting to be signed, and I think there's an appetite from a player standpoint to see how those things play out," Waddell said. "So, we just agreed that instead of talking three or four times a week, let's just put it backburner right now."
Willing to be patient, Waddell believes Aho will re-sign eventually and be a cornerstone piece in Carolina.
"He cares about winning. He cares about the team," Waddell said. "His personal stats are secondary to him. I've been around lots of players after they score their goals and it doesn't matter what the team does, they're satisfied with that. He could score four goals and lose 5-4 and he's not going to be happy at all.
"He'd be mad at himself for not scoring five."
Williams gets a close-up look at Aho's competitive drive sitting next to him in the Hurricanes locker room. But the locker room seating arrangement, which Brind'Amour said is not a coincidence, is more for Aho's benefit.
There's a lot he can learn from the three-time Stanley Cup winner.
"It's pretty good spot there sitting next to him," Aho said. "I try to be aware every day how he does all the things. It's good for me to see that."
Although Williams was the no-brainer choice to be the Hurricanes captain this season, he can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and, at age 37, his future is unclear. Maybe Aho won't be the named captain next season, but Williams can envision him wearing it someday.
"He's already is a leader, but a he's guy who could one day lead this team," Williams said. "Yes, he's a little soft spoken, but everybody's a leader in a different way. Not everyone's a rah, rah guy. Not everyone's a quiet leader. Some guys are in between.
"You find your own niche."
Aho seems to be finding his.
On the road, he occasionally rooms with rookie forward Warren Foegele, which also is not a coincidence. Aho has some experiences to share and it turns out he doesn't mind talking when he's away from the spotlight.
That's been helpful for Foegele, who hasn't scored a goal in 16 games and has gone 13 games without a point.
"We have some pretty good conversations," Foegele said. "I guess I would say I'm in a scoring slump and he was telling me the last two years he went through that, too. He said there's nothing to get down about and just try to stay positive. That's nice to hear from somebody who has gone through it before."
Aho was in a 12-game goal drought before he scored the overtime winner against Chicago.
"I hadn't scored in a while and that felt really good," he said.
What mattered to him, though, was that the Hurricanes won. That's the noise he's most interested in making.