The Carolina Hurricanes have secured Jackson Blake with a long-term contract following his standout rookie season. Last year, the team faced uncertainty after losing key players Jake Guentzel, Stefan Noesen, Brady Skjei, and Teuvo Teravainen, who together scored 82 goals in the 2023-24 season. This raised questions about how the Hurricanes would replace that offensive production and whether they could continue their playoff streak.
Despite these concerns, Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis led the team offensively. Blake emerged as a surprise contributor with 17 goals in his first full NHL season. His performance impressed both management and coaching staff.
General Manager Eric Tulsky explained the decision to commit to Blake: “I don’t think people appreciate how he has gone from high school, to the USHL, to college, to an NHL fourth line, to an NHL top line, and not missed a beat. Every step, he’s made look easy,” Tulsky said Wednesday morning. “It’s because he’s such a professional and he works so hard.”
Blake credited head coach Rod Brind’Amour for managing his transition into the NHL: “Rod did a good job with me. He knew that maybe playing less minutes the first half, seeing the game, and developing me that way (was best)… he did a really good job,” Blake said. “When he thought I was comfortable or ready to take the next step, he gave me the opportunity, and I took advantage of it… That was huge for my confidence to grow into the player I can be.”
Tulsky noted that management had considered offering Blake a long-term deal early on: “There was never a question that we’d be happy to do something like this with Jackson,” Tulsky said. “It’s easy to make bets on someone like that. The way he plays, he brings a tenacity to his play on the puck, along with the skill that we look for. It’s an easy question to do this.”
Blake acknowledged that expectations are higher now: “The expectations do go up. I would’ve expected more from myself, regardless of the contract or not, for this year,” Blake said. “I thought last year was pretty good, but I always strive for better in every area, whether it’s points, defensive zone, more dominance or stuff like that. I wouldn’t say there’s one specific area that I’m looking at; I’m kind of trying to check all of the boxes.”
With several veteran departures last offseason and questions about their ability to compete at a high level without them—especially after missing out on over 80 goals—the Hurricanes relied on younger talent like Blake as well as established players such as Aho and Jarvis.
