Stefan Noesen and Martin Necas both played in their 300th career games last night in Carolina’s 4-0 shutout over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Having taken very different paths to get to game 300 they have both played their roles on with the Hurricanes very well.
Stefan Noesen cracked the professional ranks back in 2009-10 with the OHL Plymouth Whalers. Since then he has appeared in 730 pro games with 15 different teams. In his NHL career Noesen has 99 points with 47 goals and is a +11. Since joining the Carolina Hurricanes organization, he has belted 64 goals, including 48 with the Chicago Wolves during his 70 games with the club in 2021-22. Far and away, his most successful playoff play has been with Carolina as well. In helping the Wolves win the 2021-22 Calder, Noesen scored 9 with 16 assists. No one is going to forget his playoff run with the Hurricanes last year, where he added 4 goals and 4 assists.
Martin Necas came to Carolina by way of the 2017 draft in the 1st round and the 12th over all pick. In that next season, he appeared in one game before heading back to Czechia where he appeared in 24 games with HC Kometa Brno where he scored 19 points. After 52 points in 64 games with the AHL Charlotte Checkers (then Carolina’s AHL affliate) during the 2018-19 season he made his Carolina Hurricanes debut in 2019-20 with 64 games. It is safe to say that last season was by far Necas’s best season with the Hurricanes thus far, though his performance thus far this year has been stellar. With points in all 3 of Carolina’s OT win, he has well earned the nickname “Mr. Overtime.” that was hung on him last year.
Even with their different journeys to 300, Stefan Noesen and Martin Necas are working within their roles with the Hurricanes. Noesen has proven to be a heavy net front prescience and an iron first if and when gloves need dropping. His timely goals were critical in the Hurricanes deep run in the playoffs as well. Necas is maturing into a first line star, with a quickness and ability to score in high pressure situations. And despite their different functions they both have developed their own fanbases here in Carolina. So congratulations to both for 300 games in the NHL and having hit that mark with the Carolina Hurricanes.