CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS • May 14, 2021 Sebastian Aho drives the Hurricanes with his production, competitiveness By Chip Alexander Aho again has the numbers. Playing all 56 games in the 2021 regular season, he led the Canes in goals (24), assists The Carolina Hurricanes often are portrayed as a team (33) and points (57). He topped the Canes with seven game- without a true superstar — no Connor McDavid or Sidney winning goals and was tied for the team lead with his seven Crosby, Alex Ovechkin or Auston Matthews. power-play goals and 18 power-play points. He was at 52 But the Canes, in the Stanley Cup playoffs for a third percent on faceoffs. consecutive season, have several players capable of being Since forward Teuvo Teravainen returned from a concussion super and starring in any game. And perhaps no player has on April 27, Aho’s line with Teravainen and Andrei done that any better or more often than center Sebastian Svechnikov has been as productive as almost any in the Aho. league. Aho is the Canes’ leading scorer. He centers their top line. Aho’s hat trick against the Chicago Blackhawks on May 3 He’s also their top-paid player. He’s not very big, but he’s was the fourth of his career and the only one of the season smart and crafty, and he’s stronger on the ice than one might for the Canes. His third goal that night was an empty-netter think. but he had to ward off the Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane to score For a fourth season in a row, Aho has been named the it and get some hats flying at PNC Arena. Canes’ Most Valuable Player in voting by the Carolina “It’s funny. You always have the feeling you can be better,” chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. Aho said after that game. “There are so many situations on That only underscores just how vital he has been during the the ice where you think, ‘I could do that better or this better.’ team’s return in relevance. That’s the kind of mindset I have, to make every shift matter.” “He’s very competitive. I love that about him,” Canes coach Positive mindset for the playoffs Rod Brind’Amour said recently. “I think his overall game has gotten better. Just watching him grow as a player has been That’s the mindset needed for the playoffs. The Canes and really a pleasure.” Nashville Predators are lined up for the best-of-seven opening round. Brind’Amour initially was hesitant in using Aho at center when he took over as head coach. He’s not the prototypical Brind’Amour said Wednesday he did not yet know the playoff NHL center with his size, and the Finn needed work on other schedule. He said he did hope to have a full complement of aspects of his game. Like faceoffs, to name one. Aho wasn’t healthy and available players whenever the playoffs begin. very good on faceoffs. Brind’Amour did not commit to a starting goalie for Game 1 But Aho, 23, has made a believer of Brind’Amour. His work — Alex Nedeljkovic received the Carolina PHWA chapter’s ethic is everything his coach would want, and his focus Joseph Vasicek Award for his cooperation with the media always sharp, both in practice and games. He’s a player who this season and was the first Canes rookie to win it. burns to win, and Aho said Brind’Amour has continued to push him to be better each year. Aho starred a year ago when the Canes swept the New York Rangers in a best-of-three qualifier in the 2020 postseason in “I just want to be a good player and a good leader on this Toronto. His undressing of former Rangers defenseman team and do my best to help the team to win,” Aho said Tony DeAngelo and quick backhander to beat goalie Igor Wednesday when informed of his PHWA award. Shesterkin has been aired on many NHL highlight packages. “Getting in the league as a young guy, I expect myself to be But the Canes then lost to the Boston Bruins in the playoffs physically stronger every year and build some confidence for a second straight year, adding another layer of through that on the ice, and obviously that’s what has been disappointment. happening, I feel, every year. Be stronger and faster, things like that. With earlier experiences, you learn from those. I “Those losses the last couple of years built some hunger,” think confidence is the biggest thing.” Aho said Wednesday. “We are very hungry.” CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS • May 14, 2021 Here’s the Carolina Hurricanes’ schedule for the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs By Chip Alexander “It has been a long, hard journey to get to this stage. We didn’t start the season saying we wanted to make the It took longer than expected but the National Hockey League playoffs, but you had to make the playoffs to have a chance on Thursday finally announced a full schedule for the 2021 to win the whole thing. We’re here, now everybody that’s left Stanley Cup playoffs. is here and we’re starting over.“ The Carolina Hurricanes and Nashville Predators will play The Canes, the Central Division champions, also could start Game 1 of their best-of-seven opening-round series Monday over with a full roster, Brind’Amour said. Forwards Brock at PNC Arena, and Game 2 is set for Wednesday. Both McGinn and Cedric Paquette have been out of the lineup games have an 8 p.m. starting time. because of injuries, McGinn missing the last 19 games of the The series then shifts to Nashville, Tennessee. Game 3 is regular season with an upper-body issue. set for Friday (May 21) at 7 p.m. and Game 4 will be played First PNC Arena playoff game in almost two years Sunday (May 23) at Bridgestone Arena. Monday’s game will mark the first Stanley Cup playoff game If necessary, Game 5 will be at PNC Arena on May 25 and at PNC Arena in almost two years. On May 18, 2019, the Game 6 in Nashville on May 27. If a seventh game is Canes were beaten 4-0 by the Boston Bruins in Game 5 of needed, it will be at PNC Arena on Saturday, May 29. the Eastern Conference finals, a sour end to what had been “You get re-energized by this time of year,” Canes forward a special season. Jordan Martinook said Thursday. “It’s so much fun to play in The coming of the pandemic suspended the 2019-20 season these games, especially when you’ve seen both sides of it in March and left the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs in jeopardy, when you haven’t made it and how fortunate you are to play with the possibility of not awarding a Cup. But the league and in these games. players agreed on a 24-team postseason format and the “It’s a lot of fun. I’m pumped to get going.” games were played in the bubble cities of Toronto and Edmonton, with no fans allowed in the arenas. Preparing for the playoffs With COVID-19 restrictions differing in each state, the Canes The Canes closed out the regular season Monday at will be limited to about 6,000 fans for their home playoff Nashville. Then began the wait for the NHL to set up the games. A request made by the team to the state to increase schedule as the North Division of Canadian teams finished the allowed capacity before June 1 but it was denied, team up their games. president and general manager Don Waddell said. Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said the wait would not The Predators might have as many as 14,000 fans at their adversely affect the team’s playoff preparations. Nor, he games at Bridgestone Arena, which concerns Brind’Amour. said, has the team’s expectations changed as they enter the playoffs for a third straight season. “That’s a big advantage, there’s no doubt about it,” Brind’Amour said. “Obviously that’s out of our hands. ... It “It’s no different for me than our first year. Our goal was to would be nice if we could definitely do that. Our fans have win,” he said Wednesday. “I know people made a big deal been great. They might have to put a little extra effort in if because we hadn’t done anything in forever, but we were they don’t have that many people in there.” disappointed that we didn’t win. The expectation here is to win. We’ve got a long road ahead of us. We’ve got a huge The Canes were 6-2-0 against the Predators during the challenge but that’s the expectation. regular season, winning the first six games. CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS • May 14, 2021 The 10 most important Hurricanes for a first-round victory over the Predators By Sara Civian 8. Cedric Paquette As Dom Luszczyszyn’s series preview for The Athletic so Aside from his dog, this is why the Hurricanes traded for Cup deftly pointed out, the Hurricanes have an advantage in champion Paquette. He’s the classic sandpapery fourth-liner pretty much every aspect of their upcoming first-round every Cup team needs, with the added benefit of not being playoff series against the Predators. That’s to be expected of 90 years old.