Aho shakes off nerves, leads Hurricanes over Kraken in home country 

HELINSKI -- Sebastian Aho didn’t let nerves get the better of him at the 2026 NHL Global Series.

The Carolina Hurricanes forward, the most accomplished Finnish player among the six involved in the game, said he was slightly apprehensive about playing in his home country, in front of a sizable contingent of family and friends.

“Actually, a little nervous, before the game,” Aho said. “Obviously you hope to win that game for sure.”

He didn’t just win the game, he dominated it, scoring twice in the Hurricanes’ 4-1 victory against the Seattle Kraken at Veikkaus Arena on Thursday.

It was another tour de force under the brightest of lights, an outcome that is no longer anticipated but expected from Aho.

“I mean he’s a big-time player, and you know he’s a guy that works his (butt) off, plays the right way, scores a ton of goals,” said Nikolaj Ehlers, who assisted on Aho’s first goal. “To see him go out there and have a game like tonight … I know he said he’s nervous, but he didn’t look it. Even with the nerves, apparently, he goes out there and plays the same way that he always does and shows how special of a player he is.”

The second game of this international series is here Saturday (1 p.m. ET; HHN, Prime Video, CARNHL, KONG, KING, NHLN, SN1).

Aho scored his first goal of the game on the power play, which came after a failed goalie interference challenge by the Seattle Kraken on the game-opening goal by Ehlers at 11:44 of the first.

On the power play, Jackson Blake gained the attacking blue line with speed and was looking for Aho, who was driving the net. Blake’s pass tipped off the stick of Seattle defenseman Adam Larsson and a falling-down Aho jabbed at it with his stick, steering it past goalie Philipp Grubauer for a 2-0 lead at 12:50 of the first.

Aho, jumped up, pumping his fist, a smile cutting across his face.

What made Aho’s first goal more incredible is the fact that he scored his first two career goals against the German goalie, then with the Washington Capitals, exactly 10 years ago Thursday. 

Aho said a staffer told him before the game that it was the anniversary of his first goal and found it all to be quite serendipitous.

“I’m not a big believer in that stuff, but obviously that was pretty cool to know it before the game,” Aho said. It’s kind of crazy coincidence.”

Coach Rod Brind’Amour, a Carolina assistant at the time, saw those first two goals and every one of the 320 that have followed. He said the goals here are further testament to the work Aho has done to turn potential into production after he was selected the Hurricanes in the second round (No. 35) of the 2015 NHL Draft. 

“I’ve been fortunate to be with him since he came into the League and I remember his first practice, a development practice when he showed up, and I remember talking to the guys, (saying) ‘I don’t know if he’s going to make it because he’s just a kid.’

“He was so little and he just willed himself into becoming the player he is. You knew it meant a lot to him because he doesn’t celebrate like (that).”

Aho scored again, at 11:41 of the third, ripping a slap shot past Grubauer.

This goal was historic on multiple fronts.

With his 322 regular-season goals, Aho moved past Olli Jokinen into fourth place for goals among Finland-born players in the NHL. Aho is also the third Finnish player to score multiple goals in an NHL game played in his home country, joining Mikko Rantanen and Patrik Laine, each of whom had a hat trick.

But recent history shows that Aho is made for big moments. He was an integral part of Carolina winning the Stanley Cup in June, four months after he was a leader for Finland in their bronze-medal run at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.

“Get as many of these as you can, any of these special moments, and tonight was a special one for a lot of people,” Brind’Amour said.

Defenseman Juuso Valimaki, another Finn, had a goal. Forward Taylor Hall played in his 1,000th game, the first player in NHL history to do so in a game outside North America. Ehlers, from nearby Denmark, had a goal and an assist.

But none could rival Aho, who was the first star of the night.

“I’d be lying if I’d say that didn’t feel good,” Aho said. “It was nice to score in that game for sure.”