RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes today announced that center Jordan Staal has been selected by his teammates as the winner of the 2025-26 Steve Chiasson Award. In addition, the Carolina chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA) selected goaltender Brandon Bussi as the team’s most valuable player and named forward Taylor Hall as the winner of the Josef Vasicek Award and the team’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
The Steve Chiasson Award is given annually to the Hurricanes player that best exemplifies determination and dedication while proving to be an inspiration to his teammates through his performance and approach to the game. Staal, 37, has netted 19 goals this season – his most since the 2017-18 campaign – totaling 34 points (19g, 15a) and a plus-3 rating in 74 games played. The Thunder Bay, Ont., native ranks second in the NHL in face-off wins (818) and has won 55.2% of his face-offs this season. In his seventh consecutive year as Hurricanes captain, Staal scored his 300th career NHL goal on Oct. 18 against Los Angeles, and passed his brother Eric for most games played in Hurricanes history (since 1997-98) when he skated in his 910th game with the franchise on Nov. 6.
Selected by the Carolina PHWA as the team’s most valuable player, Bussi is 30-6-1 this season with a 2.52 goals-against average and two shutouts in 37 games played. Acquired by Carolina via waivers on Oct. 5, Bussi earned a victory in his NHL debut on Oct. 14 against San Jose, and won 11 of his first 12 NHL starts. The Sound Beach, NY, native matched Cam Ward’s franchise record with nine consecutive victories from Oct. 30 through Dec. 14, and matched that record with nine consecutive victories again between Jan. 16 and March 4. Bussi became the fastest netminder in NHL history to reach 25 career wins (29 games).
The Josef Vasicek Award is given annually by the Carolina PHWA for outstanding cooperation with the local media. Formerly known as the Good Guy Award, the award was renamed in 2012 by the Carolina PHWA in honor of Vasicek, a former Hurricanes forward who died in a plane crash in Russia in September 2011. Hall, 34, has scored 18 goals and added 30 assists (48 points) this season for Carolina, his highest totals in goals, assists and points since he had 61 points (20g, 41a) with the Boston Bruins in 2021-22. The Calgary native is tied for fourth among Hurricanes forwards in plus/minus (+6) and scored his 300th career NHL goal on April 5 at Ottawa.
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually by the PHWA to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey. A player from each NHL team is nominated by the local chapter of the PHWA. As previously announced, the Carolina PHWA named Hurricanes’ Taylor Hall as the team’s nominee for the award.
See the chart below for full lists of Hurricanes players selected/nominated for these awards:
