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Sebastian Aho’s Hot Start Helping Hurricanes Find Their Footing

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho celebrates his goal with teammates (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)

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Sebastian Aho’s Hot Start Helping Hurricanes Find Their Footing

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Zach Martin | Last updated Oct 5, 2026 9:45 AM ET

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The start of the 2026-27 season has been a rollercoaster for the Carolina Hurricanes, as they sit 1-1-1 through three games. After dropping the first two games against the Florida Panthers and the Washington Capitals, they needed a win on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers. After a multi-point game from Sebastian Aho, they claimed their first win of the season.

That said, how as Aho’s s strong start to the season helped the Hurricanes find their footing through three games?

Just Keep Swimming

Through the first week of the season, Aho has three goals and four points following a two-goal performance against the Flyers on Saturday night (Oct. 3). He also had the secondary assist on the Shayne Gostisbehere overtime game-winning goal on the power play. It was his first multi-goal and multi-point game of the season.

After finishing with 27 goals and 80 points in 79 games in 2025-26, this is a great start for the Finnish forward in his 11th NHL season. Aho is currently on a projected 112-point pace through three games. While he is looking to secure his first 90-point season, that’s a pace the Hurricanes and fans would love to see.

For Aho, he’s scored three goals over the last two games, two of them being on the power play. The Hurricanes last season finished fourth on the power play, and already up to three power play goals is a good start.

After the win on Saturday, Aho was asked about the early success on the power play, especially with how he’s scored two of the three so far this season. He stated, “Obviously there’s a pre-scout; you try and look a little bit at what they’re going to do, what their tendencies are, but I’ve always said it comes down to execution, the passes and the shots.

There’s always plays that you think you’re going to run, but it’s hockey, you know? You’ve got to play hockey, and there’s a reason why you’re on the power play. Fly, for example, on that pass in the slot for me- it was elite. Happy to be good in that department too.”

While it’s not ideal for the Hurricanes to start the season 1-1-1, especially after the first two games at home, Aho has found a way to keep the teams footing early on. With Seth Jarvis still out until late October to early December, the team is looking at their franchise player to lead the way.

Thankfully Aho has done so with his four points in three games. Despite tallying no points in the home opener against the Panthers, he’s found a way during the back-to-back on Friday and Saturday to get the scoring started.

Aho leads the Hurricanes in goals and points so far this season, with Andrei Svechnikov leading in assists (three). That said, there’s still 81 games left in the regular season and the defending Stanley Cup Champions will start clicking on all cylinders like they always have.

For the 29-year-old from Rauma, Finland, it’s about doing what he does best, be the elite franchise player the Hurricanes drafted 35th overall in 2015. He’s already broken another Eric Staal record with his 50th game opening goal against the Flyers, which came 10 seconds into the game. Now it’s just trying to maintain a steady scoring pace as the Hurricanes get back to playing their style of hockey.

The Hurricanes’ next game is on Tuesday, Oct. 6, on the road against the Montreal Canadiens. They will be looking for their second consecutive win to get them over .500 on the season. There’s still lots of hockey to be had, but picking up points early in the season will go a long way. That said can Aho keep his hot scoring touch going as the team will be leaning on him to lead the way?

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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