The third edition of “3 Stars of the Month” is here as we look back on the final month of 2025. During November, there were some strong candidates to make the last edition of 2025. There are some familiar faces, but one player really shot up the ranks and made it onto the 3 Stars list. As we head into the first month of 2026, who made it onto the December edition for the Carolina Hurricanes?
Third Star: Shayne Gostisbehere (3A) & Seth Jarvis (3B)
We’re going to kick off the December 3 Stars in an interesting fashion as we will have our first-ever A & B player selections. There were a ton of players who could have made the 3 Stars list, but it would be tough to keep one of these guys off it due to playing fewer games compared to everyone else due to injuries. That being said, Seth Jarvis will be the 3B Star of December. Before he got injured in the Dec. 19 game against the Florida Panthers, he was poised to wrap up the 2025 portion of the season with 20-plus goals and close to 34 or 35 points.
However, that was not the case, as he was put on injured reserve (IR) on Dec. 20. Through nine of the 14 Hurricanes games that Jarvis played in December, he had four goals and seven points. He had a shooting percentage of 12.9 after having 31 shots on goal over the course of the nine games. He averaged 3.4 shots a game, only having zero shots in a game one time over that span. Jarvis most of the time had four or five shots a game. He averaged 19:21 of time on ice (TOI), with him logging 174:05 total minutes over a span of 192 shifts.
He finished the month with two blocks and 16 hits, while carrying a minus-3. Despite not scoring a power-play goal, Jarvis was in a shoot-first mentality and creating plays on both sides of the ice. He was once again the guy for Rod Brind’Amour to be put into any situation. There could be arguments for Andrei Svechnikov or Sebastian Aho to be in the third star position, but it’s hard to argue against Jarvis, who was on pace for a great December before getting injured. Lastly, he should be going to the Olympics, but was snubbed by Hockey Canada.
Related: Carolina Hurricanes’ 3 Stars of November
Moving on to the 3A, Shayne Gostisbehere claims the spot for the second month in a row, after a great December following his huge November. “Ghost”, before missing the last two games due to a lower-body injury (listed as day-to-day), had one goal, 10 assists, and 11 points in the 12 games he played in December. There were only three games where he did not have a point, but was on a four-game point streak to start the month between Dec. 4 and Dec. 9. Gostisbehere was a plus-3 over that span, playing some great hockey on both sides of the puck. Over the course of 2025-26, his defensive play has progressed in his second full season in Raleigh.
He had a game-winning goal against the Detroit Red Wings on Dec. 27 in their 5-2 win, where he finished with a plus-4 and three points. Gostisbehere has six even-strength and four power-play assists, showing how impactful he was in any situation during December for Tim Gleason’s blue line. He logged 254:43 of total TOI, with an average of 21:14 per game.
When Gostisbehere is in the lineup, he is at or over a point per game. Over the course of 2025-26 so far, he has 29 points in 28 games, putting him tied for second on the team. He leads the Hurricanes in assists (25) and is tied for first in plus/minus (plus-12). Gostisbehere has been having a great season, despite being out with an injury three times. When he is in the lineup, he has been one of the guys for the Hurricanes, and he showed why he deserved another third star of the month.
Second Star: Jackson Blake
For the first time in the 2025-26 season, Jackson Blake made the 3 Stars of the Month. Blake, in December, finished with six goals and nine points in the 14 games the Hurricanes played. He had two game-winning goals, his latest one coming in overtime against the New York Rangers on Dec. 29 for his first-ever GWG in OT. Furthermore, he had two power-play goals in the last five games of the month. Blake finished with a shooting percentage of 23.1% on 26 shots on goal, with some games registering four or five shots in a game. Over the course of 289 shifts, he had a total TOI of 257:39, which averaged to 18:24 a game.
Blake, over the course of the season, has consistently demonstrated why he’s taking the next step for the Hurricanes. In 39 games, he has 12 goals and 24 points. He is third on the team in goals and sixth in points during his sophomore season in Raleigh. He is currently on pace for 24 goals and 48 points, which will be new career-highs after finishing with 17 goals and 34 points in 2024-25. When The Hockey Writers sat down with him before the first preseason game, Blake mentioned he wanted to make his second season in the NHL about becoming a better player. He has certainly done that so far.
Related: Hurricanes’ Blake on Second Year Mindset & Relief to Stay Long-Term
When it comes to December, Blake has made it known that he will step up and be a shoot-first guy. While it is only nine points in 14 games, those are some solid numbers for a young player who’s being bounced between both power-play units and logging second-line minutes. His role has grown, and he is taking advantage of the opportunities in what will be a career season. All while his new eight-year extension doesn’t begin until next season.
First Star: Brandon Bussi
To round out the 3 Stars of December, it’s a familiar face who’s risen from the third star and is now the first star for the Hurricanes. Brandon Bussi, after being the second star in November with a 4-0-0 record, is atop the mountain after a lights-out December. Bussi had a winning streak that spanned from October, which saw him tie Cam Ward for most consecutive wins in a season, finishing with nine. In seven starts, he finished with a 6-0-1 record, a .916 save percentage (SV%), and a 2.05 goals-against average (GAA). He logged 438:53 of TOI, with an average of 63:42 per game, after three shootouts and overtime games.
Bussi allowed 15 goals over the seven starts, averaging 2.1 goals per game. He faced on average 25.4 shots a game (178 total), and saved on average 23.3 (163 saves). He only gave up three goals two times in December, with him allowing only two four times over that span. Bussi, in the eyes of many people, has solidified himself as the Hurricanes’ number one goalie. Unfortunately, the Hurricanes announced on Monday, Dec. 29, that Pyotr Kochetkov could miss the rest of the season due to hip surgery. Also, with Frederik Andersen winning one game in his last 11 starts, Bussi has been the lifeline in the crease in Carolina.
No one saw him having 13 wins in his first 15 starts, but he has helped the Hurricanes secure 27 points out of a possible 30 when he’s in the crease. For the season, Bussi is 13-1-1 with a 2.08 GAA and a .912 SV%. Since it’s now officially Jan 1, 2026, Bussi can be signed to an extension at some point with the Hurricanes. While the sample size is still considered “small”, with it only being 15 career games, Bussi has shown why the team needs to extend him past 2025-26. Moreover, his December numbers alone have made a case for an extension to be discussed. Bussi has risen in the ranks over the course of the season and is showing no signs of slowing down.
The next game for the Hurricanes is on Jan. 1 against the Montreal Canadiens, as they look to keep their spot as the first seed in the Eastern Conference. They’re tied for first with the Detroit Red Wings, but have the better points percentage (.654 compared to .622), while playing two fewer games (39 to 41). Plus, the Hurricanes lead the Red Wings 1-0 in the season series for the tie-breaker. The Hurricanes look to start 2026 on a high note with a win after losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 on Dec. 30 to round out 2025.
