RALEIGH, NC. - The National Hockey League today announced that Carolina Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho has been named the NHL’s “First Star” for the week ending Dec. 31. He is the first Hurricanes player to receive the honor since Teuvo Teravainen on Nov. 20, 2017.
Aho, 26, posted 11 points (2g, 9a) in three games from Dec. 27 to Dec. 30, leading all NHL skaters in assists and points. He recorded at least three points in all three contests, becoming the fourth player in franchise history and the first since Eric Staal in 2005-06 to register three straight three-point games. The 6’0”, 180-pound forward opened the week with four points (1g, 3a) in a 5-2 win over the Predators on Dec. 27 and added four assists in a 5-3 win over the Canadiens the following night. Aho tied for the most points by any player in franchise history over a two-day span, becoming the first Whalers/Hurricanes skater to earn four points on consecutive days as well as the first NHL player to accomplish that feat since Jeremy Roenick in 1999-00. He finished the week with three points (1g, 2a) and the game-winning goal in a 3-2 victory over the Maple Leafs on Dec. 30. Aho recorded a league-high six power-play points (1g, 5a) in those three games, including a career-high three power-play assists against Nashville. His first of those three assists marked the 500th point of his NHL/Hurricanes career, as he became the fourth player to reach the milestone with Hartford/Carolina.
Aho has registered 42 points (15g, 27a) in 34 games with Carolina this season, and he leads the team in goals, assists, points, power-play assists (13), power-play points (17), game-winning goals (4), multi-assist games (7) and multi-point games (12). His 42 points are tied for the second-most in team history (since relocation) by any player through his first 34 contests in any season, matching his own career-high total from 2021-22. Aho is looking to pace all Hurricanes skaters in scoring for the sixth time in his eight NHL seasons, and he could also lead the team in goals, assists and points for the third time, after accomplishing the feat in both 2020-21 and 2021-22. He has now reached the 40-point mark in each of his eight campaigns and currently ranks fourth in franchise history in goals and points and fifth in assists.
This marks the fourth time that Aho has been named one of the NHL’s three weekly stars, and just his second First Star of the Week honor (also Feb. 6, 2017). He was also named the Central Division Star of the Month in April 2021. Aho is one of six Hurricanes players to be named First Star of the Week since the league introduced the award in 2006-07, alongside Jeff Skinner (twice), Eric Staal (twice), Cam Ward, Jussi Jokinen and Teuvo Teravainen.
