In the Carolina Hurricanes world, many things have gone on with more coming around the corner. Between Jan. 4 and Jan. 10, the Hurricanes played five games in seven days with a record of 3-2-0. Fans witnessed not one, but two career milestones against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, Jan. 5 in the team’s 4-3 win in overtime. Then on Thursday, Jan. 9, everyone witnessed the captain score a hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Plus, there is the upcoming jersey retirement for one of their homegrown players who holds a ton of franchise (since relocation) records. There is so much to celebrate surrounding the Hurricanes, let’s dive into it all in the latest Martin’s Musings.
Milestone Nights for Aho & Jarvis
Let’s start it off with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis ticking off career milestones on the same night. What makes that night special is that both players have made an impact on the Hurricanes in their own way, in their time frames sparking what the past, present, and future holds for the team. Regarding Aho, he notched his 600th NHL point on the game-winning goal in overtime to claim the 4-3 win. His 600th point made him the third player in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history to reach that milestone. In terms of relocation history, he is second only to Eric Staal. However, Aho reached the milestone in 26 fewer games (638) to be the fastest player in franchise history.
For Jarvis, on the Jalen Chatfield goal, he notched career assist number 100 in the NHL. In his 2020 Draft class, he is the third player to hit that milestone along with Tim Stutzle (Ottawa Senators) and Lucas Raymond (Detroit Red Wings). He is only 118 assists from tying Jeff O’Neill for 10th all-time in franchise history. Not bad for the 13th overall pick who’s in his fourth season with the team who drafted him. The two have shown lots of chemistry since the 2023-24 season and for them to claim a milestone on the same night makes it even better.
Jordan Staal Hat Trick
Talk about having a stretch of four games this week for captain Jordan Staal. Since the Penguins game, Staal has tallied five goals and three assists for eight points. Going into that game, he had four total goals in the 2024-25 season. After the Vancouver Canucks game on Jan. 10, he now has nine. He notched a hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs to make him one of two players to have one at 18 years old or younger and 35 years old or older; the other player is Jaromir Jagr. His huge week has got him also within two points of 700 in his career. It would be fitting if he got to the 700-point plateau on the day the Hurricanes are honoring his brother Eric. Jordan should be considered an underrated Maple Leafs killer because in 25 career games against the team he grew up watching, he has 37 points. That is 1.48 points per game (P/G) which is otherworldly considering he has a .538 P/G for his 19-year career.
Related: Jordan Staal & the Hurricanes Shut Out Canucks 2-0
Not bad for the second-overall pick by the Penguins in 2006 who has played over double the amount of time as a Hurricanes player. Staal is only 23 points away from tying his head coach Rod Brind’Amour in points (473) for fifth all-time in franchise history and 50 away from 500 as a Hurricane. Furthermore, he is only 19 points away from passing Kevin Dineen for fifth all-time in assists (294). What a 13-year, and more to come, career with Carolina from the captain. What makes this run special, he is doing this on the week when the team will be putting his brother Eric’s number into the rafters of the Lenovo Center. What a week and weekend for the Staal family.
Celebrating Eric Staal
From one Staal captain to another, it is a huge weekend for the Hurricanes but more importantly, the Staal family. The team will be honoring the man who they drafted second overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He will be the fourth jersey retired by the team alongside Brind’Amour, Glen Wesley, and Ron Francis. The former captain leads the Hurricanes franchise (since relocation) in a plethora of all-time records. He is first in goals (322), assists (453), points (775), hat tricks (13), power-play goals (105), and power-play points (252). He also played 909 games with the team as a Stanley Cup winner and was a one-time All-Star (2011 in Raleigh).
The festivities on Sunday, Jan. 12 will have a red carpet event from 1-3 p.m. with a panel discussion talking about Staal’s career. The alumni guest list is the ultimate turnout for the man who became what it means to be a Carolina Hurricanes player. More than a dozen alumni will be in attendance which includes, Justin Williams, Ray Whitney, Matt Cullen, Cory Stillman, Cam Ward, Mike Commodore, Scott Walker, Chad LaRose, and Erik Cole. Shane Willis will be the MC of the panel that will take place during the event. Fans will need to get to the arena early as the jersey retirement ceremony and Hurricanes Hall of Fame celebration will start at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. For the fans who cannot make it, it will air on FanDuel Sports South.
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Following all of that, the team will take on the Anaheim Ducks for a 5 p.m. puck drop. It’s always amazing to honor former Hurricanes, especially Eric Staal who in 909 games with the Hurricanes gave a lasting legacy in the red, black, and white and is more than deserving to have his No. 12 retired to the rafters along with the other legends of the franchise. Congrats on the huge moment and career milestone, Eric.
Eye of the Storm
What a whirlwind of a few days for the Hurricanes with five games in seven days, two career milestone moments, and a captain surging on the week where his brother will be honored by the team. All eyes will be on Sunday for Eric’s jersey retirement and hopefully his brother Jordan will reach 700 points on that day as well to bring it to a full circle moment for the brothers who were teammates from 2012-13 to 2015-16. It means more that both have or are currently captains for the Hurricanes and being able to celebrate a moment like this together. The Hurricanes have shown that the organization is a family, and this weekend will show that another franchise legend gets honored as he should.
