The second edition of “3 Stars of the Month” returns for the 2025-26 season. During October, there was one new face to the series, along with two familiar ones. As we head into the final month of 2025, who made it onto the November edition for the Carolina Hurricanes?
Third Star: Shayne Gostisbehere
The third star for November is defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who, despite missing a few games, made it onto the list after a stellar finish to the month. There were a few other players who could make an argument to make it into the three stars, but while playing in only 10 games in November, “Ghost” finished with two goals and 11 points. His two goals came on the power play in back-to-back games and had not one, but two three-game point streaks.
Related: Carolina Hurricanes’ 3 Stars of October 2025
In 219:51 of time on ice (TOI), Gostisbehere was impactful on both sides of the ice. He had eight blocks and six hits during those 10 games on the defensive side. Plus, he only took one penalty, giving him more time on the ice to be used for Tim Gleason and Rod Brind’Amour in situations that needed him. Offensively, Gostisbehere was a plus-1 while making contributions at 5-on-5 and on special teams. He had three power-play points and eight even-strength assists. He managed to do all of this while averaging 22:59 of TOI per game.
Gostisbehere, for the season, is second for defensemen in goals (three), first in assists (15), and points (18). For the Hurricanes as a whole, he is tied for 11th in goals, second in assists, and third in points. In terms of plus/minus, he is tied for third on the team and third for defensemen. For someone who did not play every game in November due to injury, but still recorded over a point per game as a defenseman, Gostisbehere made it as the Hurricanes’ third star.
Second Star: Brandon Bussi
After being the October third star, Brandon Bussi has made it again, this time as the second star. He went 3-1-0 in October for his first four starts in his NHL career. He then followed that up with an even better November. He finished the month with a 4-0-0 record, currently on a five-game winning streak, along with having a 1.98 goals-against average (GAA) and a .895 save percentage (SV%).
While the SV% is under .900, that is mainly due to the Hurricanes allowing 25 shots or fewer per game. Other than that, there is no scoffing at a sub-2.00 GAA for a guy who’s played in eight career NHL games, and has won all four starts in November. For the season, Bussi is 7-1-0 with a 2.11 GAA and a .907 SV%. Those numbers changed dramatically after earning his first shutout win on Sunday night (Nov. 30) against the Calgary Flames.
Following that shutout, Brind’Amour stated about Bussi’s play, “He’s been great for us. He’s come up with the timely saves. That’s how I sum it up. It’s not like we’ve been leaving him out to dry or giving up 40 shots a night. It’s not really that, but if there’s a breakaway here or there, those are huge moments in tight games. Every game, it’s almost been the same story. It’s timely saves that allow us to have a chance, and that’s what you ask for.”
Bussi has given the Hurricanes 14 points this season after his seven wins in eight starts. While the team had to bail out a couple of okay starts, he has carried the bulk of the weight in most of his wins. He has kept the Hurricanes in a ton of games, and he’s been rewarded with more starts as the season has progressed. While Pyotr Kochetkov has been out, Bussi has held his own and given the Hurricanes a chance to be where they are now, leading the Metropolitan Division with 34 points after 25 games.
Can he keep this pace up? Time will tell, but as of now, he’s been a workhorse in the net during his first season in the NHL. Bussi is getting closer to making the Hurricanes have a conversation to keep in Raleigh after this season, as he is set to be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1. If he does keep the form up, he will work his way into a longer contract moving forward.
First Star: Seth Jarvis
When it comes to the first star, it seems it’s synonymous with Seth Jarvis, who had the most appearances on the three stars list last season and the top spot. Moreover, he was the first star in October and argues to have it once again in November. There is a case to be made for Sebastian Aho as well to be on the list, and even for the first star spot. Aho did have more points than Jarvis in November (13 to 11), more assists (nine to three), and a plus-4 compared to plus-1. However, Jarvis’ scoring touch has been on another level, and it’s been a huge catalyst in 2025-26.
Jarvis, in November, had eight goals and 11 points in 15 games, with him scoring a hat trick against the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 28. He had one shorthanded goal and seven even-strength goals, while having three assists at 5-on-5. Furthermore, his 18.2 shooting percentage was very evident with how he had 44 shots on goal in the 277:25 of TOI split between 5-on-5, the power play, and the penalty kill. In a season where he has almost doubled the second-place player in goals (15 compared to Aho’s eight), Jarvis has been the personification of clutch.
Related: Seth Jarvis’ Early-Season Impact Will Be a Catalyst for Hurricanes’ Success
Furthermore, Jarvis leads in shorthanded, game-winning, and overtime goals for the Hurricanes this season. While he is second on the team in points (22), his overall game has been a huge boost to the Hurricanes, being 16-7-2 on the season. His effort has been noticeable all season and has shown he can score on any line, at any moment, for the Brind’Amour and the Hurricanes.
Whether it’s Jarvis or Aho that should be the first star, or even both guys in the three stars, the Hurricanes have a dynamic duo in those two. Plus, with the month that Gostisbehere and Bussi had, it’s hard to keep them off the 3 Stars of November.
The Hurricanes’ next game is on Thursday, Dec. 4, against the Toronto Maple Leafs for the fourth game of their seven-game homestand. They’re on a two-game winning streak and look to make it three in a row. It’ll be an interesting final month of 2025 as the Hurricanes look to separate themselves in the Metropolitan Division. Furthermore, they want to be the team to beat not only in the Eastern Conference but in the NHL.
