When Sebastian Aho was 19, he played for Team Finland in the World Cup of Hockey 2016 in Toronto while trying to make the Carolina Hurricanes. He'd never played in the NHL before. He said he was "pretty overwhelmed."
"The whole start of the season, it was kind of stressful," he said. "But it was a lot of fun, a lot of good experiences."
Now Aho is 27, beginning his ninth NHL season. The center has blossomed into maybe the most consistent goal-scorer in the League and a leader for the Hurricanes, who opened the season with a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday.
There is a reason Finland named Aho one of its first six players for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, the first best-on-best tournament since the World Cup in 2016. Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States will play in Montreal and Boston from Feb. 12-20. Aho likely will represent Finland at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics too.
"Obviously now, with 4 Nations and Olympics later on, it’s exciting stuff," he said.
Aho played three games for Team Finland in that World Cup and didn't make it onto the score sheet. He did make the Hurricanes that season, however.
Since entering the NHL he has scored 254 goals, tied with Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby for ninth in the NHL during that span.
In four of the past five seasons, Aho has scored between 36 and 38 goals. Look at his goal totals over the past three seasons: 37, 36, 36. Now break down those totals in the categories of even strength (23, 26, 24), power play (13, seven, 11), shorthanded (one, three, one) and game-winning (nine, nine, 10).
"It's quite amazing how consistent he is," Hurricanes forward Martin Necas said. "Every player has ups and downs. But for him, when he has his downs, his downs are really high. He still manages to produce and help the team in all the ways. He's been so good for us, and he's the franchise."
It should help to have a constant like Aho after an offseason of change.
Carolina lost forwards Jake Guentzel, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Stefan Noesen and Teuvo Teravainen, and defensemen Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei, while adding forwards William Carrier and Jack Roslovic, and defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker.
Also, general manager Don Waddell resigned May 24, with Eric Tulsky promoted from assistant GM to replace him.
"It's not necessarily a bad thing," Aho said. "Obviously it probably takes a little bit of time to get everyone on the same page, but sometimes there's a little bit of changes. It could give a little extra boost. I don't know. Time will tell.
"Obviously we lost some of the key players on our team, but at the same time we've got guys who have very good upside there and potential to grow in those roles and be even better players than they have been."
Aho pointed to Necas and forward Seth Jarvis.
Necas had 53 points (24 goals, 29 assists) in 77 games last season, after 71 points (28 goals, 43 assists) in 82 games the season before in 2022-23. He’s still 25, entering his sixth full NHL season.
Jarvis had 67 points (33 goals, 34 assists) in 81 games last season, and he's only 22 and entering his fourth NHL season.
"They're already great players," Aho said. "But I don't see any reason why they can't take that next step and be even better players, be leaders on our team."
Necas would say the same about Aho, who set an NHL career high in points (89) and tied his NHL career high in assists (53) in 78 games last season.
"He definitely has another level to reach, I feel like," Necas said, pointing to the 90-point mark. "I think he's aiming right there, and he can be above that."
Aho said he isn't worried about numbers, though. He said naturally he has grown more comfortable as a leader as he has grown older, and the Hurricanes can grow within the strong culture coach Rod Brind'Amour and the players have built together.
"I do believe in our team, our chances, but you don't know until you see it, right?" Aho said. "I think the big thing for us is just stick together and start working hard and being together and just being on the same page."
The Hurricanes have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs each of the past six seasons, and they’ve won at least one round each time, if you include the Qualifying Round during the 2020 playoffs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
They have advanced as far as the Eastern Conference Final twice, but they were swept each time, by the Boston Bruins in 2019 and the Florida Panthers in 2023.
In the end, Aho has one goal.
"Winning the Stanley Cup," he said. "That's the only one. Obviously, don't get me wrong … you want to score as much as possible and stuff like that. But it's very much a secondary thing.
"When you've been in these playoff runs and you've been kind of close but not there yet, it puts your mindset a little bit differently. Obviously that's the only goal I have as of now, just be the last team standing."
