Aho Stars at Home as Hurricanes Beat Kraken 4-1 in Helsinki

Sebastian Aho could hear what this night meant before he ever touched the puck. The Carolina Hurricanes centre grew up in Rauma, Finland, and on Thursday he returned to his home country as the star of the NHL Global Series, with a Finnish crowd at Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki waiting to see whether he would rise to the occasion. He did, twice, as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Seattle Kraken 4-1.

Aho scored on the power play in the first period and again in the third, while Nikolaj Ehlers and fellow Finn Juuso Valimaki also found the net. The Hurricanes improved to 15-3-2, with 32 points, and have now won seven of their past eight. Seattle fell to 9-7-1 after losing three of its past four.

The result also carried neat symmetry for Aho. He scored his first NHL goal exactly ten years earlier, on 12 November 2016, against Philipp Grubauer and the Washington Capitals. On Thursday, Grubauer was again the goaltender beaten by Aho, this time in front of a Finnish crowd.

A fast start in Helsinki

Carolina wasted little time imposing itself. Ehlers opened the scoring at 11:44 of the first period, firing a wrist shot from inside the blue line while Jackson Blake set a screen at the top of the crease. Seattle challenged the goal for goaltender interference, but the challenge failed, and the Kraken were punished almost immediately.

Aho doubled the lead just 66 seconds later, at 12:50, scoring on the power play after Blake fed him at the left post. Aho redirected an elevated pass past Grubauer, and the arena erupted. The two goals in 1:06 set the tone: Carolina were quicker to loose pucks and far more comfortable in the attacking zone.

"I was a little nervous before the game," Aho said afterwards. "You hope to win that game for sure, that's the main thing. But I'd be lying if I said that didn't feel good."

Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said the occasion had been visible in Aho all week. "You knew it meant a lot to him," Brind'Amour said. "He's just been extremely happy. He wanted it, to do what he did tonight."

The Finns take centre stage

Valimaki made it 3-0 at 9:34 of the second period. The defenceman, a native of Tampere, Finland, scored under the crossbar from the top of the right circle after Logan Stankoven won a faceoff back to him. Ehlers called the moment special for the Finnish players in the Carolina dressing room.

"Absolutely special," Ehlers said. "Even Valimaki getting one. That's what you want. You obviously want to get the two points, but seeing them score makes it a little more special."

Aho completed the Finnish story in the third period, finishing a give-and-go with K'Andre Miller with a one-timer at 11:41 to make it 4-0. The move summed up Carolina's evening: quick, connected, and ruthless when space appeared.

The performance also put Aho into select company. He became the fourth European player to score multiple goals in an NHL game in his home country, joining Mikko Rantanen (2022 Global Series) and Patrik Laine (2018), as well as Radim Vrbata in Czechia in 2010. Aho now has three straight multipoint games, with three goals and four assists.

Blake extended a ten-game point streak, with 12 points, while Stankoven, who had two assists, has nine points in a six-game point streak.

Control, then a late consolation

Seattle's frustration was clear in the words of coach Lane Lambert. "We had a plan coming in; I don't know that we stuck to it very well," Lambert said. "You've got to give them credit. They're Stanley Cup champions for a reason. There's not a lot of ice out there."

The Kraken found a late consolation. Frederick Gaudreau jumped on a loose puck after a turnover and scored from the right hash marks at 13:15 of the third period, making it 4-1. "They're obviously a very good team," Gaudreau said. "They're fast, they're connected. It seems like they just know two seconds before where the puck is going to go."

Brandon Bussi made 12 saves for the Hurricanes, while Grubauer made 26 saves for Seattle, facing far more sustained pressure. Seattle forward Berkly Catton saw an eight-game point streak end, a run in which he had recorded ten points, with three goals and seven assists.

There was also a milestone for Taylor Hall, who celebrated his 1,000th NHL game. Hall, the first overall pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2010, had three shots on goal in 14:47 of ice time.

What it means and what comes next

For Carolina, the win reinforced their position at the top of the standings. They defended in numbers, moved the puck quickly, and turned a failed Seattle challenge into a two-goal lead within little more than a minute.

For Seattle, the lesson was about connection and composure. The Kraken were second to too many pucks and too often a step behind Carolina's passing. Lambert's point about mental preparation will be tested quickly, because there is no long wait for a rematch.

The two teams meet again at Veikkaus Arena on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. Thursday's game was the 49th regular-season NHL game played outside North America, the 12th in Finland and the eighth in Helsinki. If Seattle are to split the series, they will need to slow Aho and give Grubauer more help. On Thursday's evidence, that is a demanding assignment.