Benchwarmer, odd-man-out, extra. All of these names have been associated with the Carolina Hurricanes newest centreman, Mark Jankowski. No stranger to being the low man in the pecking order, his skills were often overlooked and his contributions unnoticed. Now wading into new waters, he is getting recognition for his playing style as he’s found success with the Hurricanes. However, there is one question that many in the hockey world have been wondering. That question being, why exactly has his performance been so explosive since joining his latest team?
Understanding Mark Jankowski Has Been So Good for the Carolina Hurricanes
Sometimes to find your answer, you have to start from the beginning. Long before the days of playing alongside Filip Forsberg, before his time with Rasmus Dahlin, and even before sharing the ice with Sidney Crosby, Jankowski was the Calgary Flames top pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Selected well above the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s ranking, the Flames took him 21st overall. Then assistant general manager John Weisbrod saw potential in his play. Quite frankly, Weisbrod thought he could be one of, if not, the most talented to come out of the draft. Following the draft, his rookie and sophomore seasons with the Flames saw very good numbers. However, in his final season with the club, he was dropped to the fourth line, where his production plummeted. After the season, they made the decision not to re-sign him.
Moreover, following his departure from the Flames, Jankowski jumped between several NHL and AHL Clubs. He often served as a bottom-six forward to fill in for injured players. The first-round pick became a bit of a journeyman, and in these circumstances, his surface numbers continued to suffer.
Fast-forward to March 7, 2025, this under-the-radar pattern continued for the 30-year-old centreman. Between the blockbuster transactions involving players like Brad Marchand and Mikko Rantanen, there was very little attention when the Hurricanes struck a deal with the Nashville Predators, quietly bolstering their depth down the middle. With nothing more than their annual fifth-round draft pick for 2026, the Carolina Hurricanes managed to get the fourth-line centreman at an unreal bargain. “He’s someone our pro scouts have loved for a long time,” General Manager Eric Tulsky stated on the acquisition of Jankowski. “He’s really good along the walls, at protecting the puck, and holding onto it.”
JankWOWski
Mark Jankowski was deposited into and held down in the Flyers bench by Rodrigo Abols, but it didn’t last for long, as Janky came up fighting.
Odd enough being the only one going to the box. Brind’Amour and Kotkaniemi were certainly not happy with that penalty,… pic.twitter.com/zhPobgGkdC— Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) March 16, 2025
Hear it Click, Make it Stick
His time in the red and black is still young, having spent less than a month with the team. However, there are tell-tale signs that something is clicking with the Hurricanes that didn’t with previous teams. The coaching style of the Hurricanes is often noted as having a dig-in approach. Included in that is outworking opponents, being aggressive on the forecheck, and employing creativity on the ice. Work hard, work smart. These have been cornerstones in Jankowski’s game since the beginning, shocking goalies with unexpected shots and confusing opponents with top-notch defensive play. The Carolina Hurricanes system has been able to tap into the centreman’s creativity and unique skill set, something that had not seen the possibility of being utilized to its full potential in previous coaching systems. It isn’t teaching an old dog new tricks, it’s letting him use the tricks he’s always been capable of using.
However, that is only one aspect of why Jankowski has been jiving so well in the lineup. On the other hand, upon joining he found instant chemistry with his linemates. “When you’re going to different teams and stuff, right away there’s nerves, there’s jitters, and you don’t really know anyone,” Jankowski said after their 5-0 win against the Philadelphia Flyers. “But then, when I came into this locker room, I felt like I was here for years. Everyone just made me feel so welcome and I was able to just go out and play my game and focus on hockey right away.”
Last Word on the Mark Jankowski Hurricanes Story Thus Far
In this modern age of hockey analytics and statistics, the simplest things can often be overlooked. Usually, most people would simply open their stats pages to decide whether they are a good player or not. However, while numbers are certainly significant, they can only tell a small piece of a much larger story.
The metrics don’t measure a player’s work ethic, coaching systems, playing styles, or the chemistry they find on their line. It is something that can be challenging to figure into numbers. But game in and game out, when a player is wearing the crest they’re meant to be wearing, when they are digging in and fighting alongside the teammates who they work best with. You can see it begin to bubble up to the surface numbers. Jankowski has always been a “work hard, play smart, sneak in a dirty goal” type of player. And now, on the Carolina Hurricanes’ fourth line, his talents can truly shine through unlike what had been previously seen.
Main Photo Credit: James Guillory – Imagn Images
The post From Second Banana to Fan Favourite a Succes Story of Carolina Hurricanes Centreman appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.