Sebastian Aho is putting himself in a good position to contend for the Hart Trophy in 2026-27 as the Carolina Hurricanes keep dominating.
Aho has 10 goals and 26 points in 19 games following his three-point outing in Saturday’s 9-2 win over the Blackhawks that produced franchise milestones. He is now on an 84-game pace to hit 115 points and 44 goals.
That is one impressive mark, and it will put him in serious contention to be among the league leaders in points and goals if he stays consistent. Heading into Sunday’s slate of games, Aho is currently tied for seventh in points and tied for 12th in goals scored. He is second on the Hurricanes in goals, behind Logan Stankoven.
Aho reached another milestone following Carolina’s blowout win. Peter Dewar and Walt Ruff of Hurricanes.com wrote, “His 57th career three-point game tied Aleksander Barkov for the fourth-most by a Finnish player in NHL history. The list is topped by Jari Kurri (164 GP), Teemu Selanne (126 GP) and Mikko Rantanen (78 GP).”
It will be fun to watch the race heat up between Aho and Barkov as they chase Rantanen. All three players are in their respective primes. They have all hoisted the Stanley Cup and are faces of their respective franchises. All three of them will ultimately go down as among the best Finns to play in the NHL.
Sebastian Aho Joins Aleksander Barkov In Finnish NHL History
Barkov has had some horrific luck in the past two seasons with injuries, and that has limited him in his race with Aho. Still, he will be every bit as effective once he returns from a lower-body injury, and that’s when the race to catch Rantanen will continue to heat up.
All three players are well on pace to challenge Teemu Selanne, while Jari Kurri will be the one to beat. Both Selanne and Kurri are considered the best Finnish players in NHL history.
So if Aho, Barkov, and Rantanen want to hold the title of Greatest of All Time from Finland, more three-point games will work in their favor. Winning more Cups will also help their cause. Rantanen, a member of the Dallas Stars, can be the only member of the trio to hoist the Cup with two teams at the moment.
Rantanen previously won the Cup in 2022 with the Colorado Avalanche. Ironically, he and Aho were briefly teammates in the 2024-25 season. Barkov is the only player on the list with two Cups, winning in 2024 and 2025 with the Florida Panthers.
Sebastian Aho Is Heating Up At The Perfect Time
Aho is playing his best hockey on the verge of his homecoming in Finland this week. Carolina will meet the Seattle Kraken twice in Helsinki. Heating up in time to play in front of his home country’s fans will be a treat for Aho.
But it isn’t just Aho who is playing some good hockey with a homecoming on the horizon. Jesperi Kotkaniemi has rebounded from his forgettable 2025-26 campaign. Kotkaniemi now has 10 points and five goals this season, surpassing the nine points he posted in 2025-26.
Juuso Valimaki has also been a part-time player for the Hurricanes this season, making eight appearances and recording three points and two goals.
Still, Aho will be one to watch, given his career-best start and his ongoing three-point race with Barkov. Keep close watch on Aho’s production as the season continues. If he keeps this up, serious Hart Trophy contention isn’t out of the question.
Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho Reaches Multiple Milestones in Blackhawks Win