While the Carolina Hurricanes are only two games into 2025-26, they already have four points out of a possible four to begin the eighth season under Rod Brind’Amour. They won their first two games at home against the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers in early Metropolitan Division matchups. After winning 31 games last season – tied with the Los Angeles Kings – they are off to a hot start at the Lenovo Center. 13 of the 18 players who have played for the Hurricanes have at least a point, while four are tied for the team lead with three. One player who has stood out the most, after scoring three goals, with two of them being game winners (both lead the team), is forward Seth Jarvis.
Jarvis’ Hot Start to Season
After scoring 32 goals during the 2024-25 season, Jarvis is already off to a rapid start with three goals in the first two games for the Hurricanes. Per Walt Ruff, he is the first player in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history to score the game-winning goal in each of the first two games to start the season. He scored the fourth goal during their opening night game against the Devils on Thursday, Oct. 9, en route to a 6-3 win. He followed that up by scoring the winner in overtime on Saturday, Sept. 11, against the Flyers, winning 4-3.
Another impressive feat for the Hurricanes is that when Jarvis scores a goal, they are 73-5-6 in the regular season (per The Canes Stats Brand – X/Twitter). Whenever Jarvis scores in the regular season, the Hurricanes have won 73 out of 84 games (86.9%). When asked about scoring three goals after two games, Jarvis stated, “Scoring is always nice. It’s nice that they’re going in right now, but I just need to build on my overall game. There are steps I need to take. The goals will come. I know sometimes I won’t score, but I’ll play a better game than I did tonight. That’s the big focus right now for me. Just making sure I’m putting my best foot forward every night.”
Related: Hurricanes’ Seth Jarvis Wins Wacky OT Period vs. Flyers
Even when scoring goals, Jarvis will not rest on those laurels, as he knows there’s more he can add for the Hurricanes. He has finished with 67 points in each of the last two seasons, but if you ask him, that is not enough, as he knows his line with Sebastian Aho and Nikolaj Ehlers is still a work in progress. Even then, he knows how resilient the Hurricanes can be, despite having a nailbiter so early into the season. When asked about it, he said, “We had our spots. I think Jordo’s [Jordan Staal] line played really well. KK [Jesperi Kotkaniemi], Stank [Logan Stankoven], their lines were good. Our line was lacking a little bit. I think that’s what kind of brought them back in the game. We’ve got to be able to close them out. But, I mean, it’s a work in progress. It’s only the second game of the year. We showed a lot of resilience, which is really good for our group.”
In just 306 NHL games, Jarvis has 99 goals, 117 assists, and 216 points. He has 22 power-play goals, eight shorthanded goals, and 17 game-winning goals, three of which were in overtime. The 23-year-old Canadian forward is the definition of clutch. When referring to those 17 game-winning goals, that is fourth on the team since his debut in 2021, per Walt Ruff. If the Hurricanes want to have success this season, meaning at least making it to the Stanley Cup Final, it will come from Jarvis reaching for the next gear.
It’s still a shock to people that Jarvis is already in his fifth NHL season, after breaking through as a 19-year-old rookie. After two games, he is already averaging 21:01 of ice time, a career high, as he is on the first line and the first power-play unit. Over the last couple of seasons, he has bounced around the lines, seeing most of it being on either the first or third line. He is the Swiss Army knife, or even a spark plug, to get any line rolling when it needs a jump for the Hurricanes. However, if they want to get to another level, not just from Jarvis, but the whole team, he will need to be on the top line with consistent linemates.
Related: Jarvis & Miller’s 2 Goal Nights Lead Hurricanes to 6-3 Win Over Devils
Luckily for the Hurricanes, their defense is known as the team’s bread and butter, as it’s always top five every season. Plus, it helps that they have Aho, who could hold a ton of team records when his career is done. They will need Andrei Svechnikov to find his form from the 2025 Playoffs, along with other players stepping up to another level. Regarding Jarvis, there is a sense that something feels different entering the 2025-26 season. After seeing the Prime Docuseries “Faceoff: Inside the NHL”, it gave fans insight into how Jarvis views himself and how he wants to play the game.
Jarvis said he would “drive to the ends of the earth to bring a Cup to the city [Raleigh].” He also stated that he wants to be known as one of the greatest Hurricanes players, and where he is now, he could be on his way to being so. If Jarvis gets his game to another level, which is already trending toward superstar, there is no stopping him. While it’s only been two games into the season, he is already making his impact felt not only for the Hurricanes but in the NHL as well. What does Jarvis have in store for the team and the fans as the season goes along? Everyone will have to watch and see.
