For the third straight season, center Sebastian Aho was named the Carolina Hurricanes’ Most Valuable Player in a vote by the Carolina chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Forward Jordan Martinook is the recipient of the Josef Vasicek Award given annually to a player recognized for his cooperation with the media.
Aho, just days shy of turning 23, is the second three-time winner of the award, joining Eric Staal. Staal won in 2006, 2008 and 2012.
Despite playing only 68 games in the abbreviated NHL regular season, Aho scored a career-high 38 goals and added 28 assists to lead Carolina in scoring with 66 points. An all-situations player for coach Rod Brind’Amour, Aho logged 19:25 per game and was tied for third in league with five shorthanded points, including tying for a league-best with four shorthanded goals.
In his fourth NHL season, Aho is in the first year of a five-year, $42.27 million contract that averages $8.454 million per season.
Martinook, in his second season with the Hurricanes, has been a prominent voice in Carolina’s locker room since joining the team and become a vocal leader both on and off the ice.
It is the first Vasicek Award for Martinook, who will turn 28 on Saturday. He had two goals and 11 assists in 45 games this season after registering 15 goals and 25 points 2018-19 in his first season in Carolina. Justin Williams was the 2019 winner, and current captain Jordan Staal (2014, 2018) and Kevyn Adams (2003, 2004) are the only two-time winners of the award.
