“He’s a character and the older guys love him,” Rod Brind’Amour said about the youngest player listed on his lineup card. “The games got to be fun,” Brind’Amour continued. “I think you forget that. Especially getting into this time of year.”
Seth Jarvis is a member of the upcoming NHL generation. In the past, players were not encouraged to show their individuality. Their personalities could be seen as distractions from ‘the game.’ Seth Jarvis now in his sophomore season with the Hurricanes has served as the team’s stress relief throughout his two seasons. Without distracting from game action, Jarvis has put a smile on the faces of Carolina’s fans and players as they move into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
A day after Valentine’s Day Martin Necas treated Jarvis to a face full of shaving cream after Seth scored his first career hat trick. When Jarvis was asked how it felt he quickly replied. “I mean my hat trick felt better,” with a smile as shaving cream slid down his face.
When speaking to the media Tuesday afternoon Jarvis again showed the personality that made him an instant fan favorite in Carolina. Near the end of the scrum, the twenty-one-year-old was asked if Andrei Svechnikov got the team going when he sounded the Hurricanes warning siren to bring the team onto the ice. “We don’t get to see it,” Jarvis responded. “We heard the fans going crazy. I saw it after the game. He told me before the game that he was going to do it. So I told him he should probably take his shirt off and wave it around.” Then like any talented comedian Jarvis took a beat for his audience to laugh before continuing. “He didn’t do that. He was probably a little more professional than I would have been.”
Who knows if PNC Arena’s roof could have withstood such a move from Svechnikov? Personally, I think the roof would be blown off leading to the organization’s second outdoor game of the season.
Jarvis has made life easier for Carolina’s content production team. Is it a slow Tuesday with nothing exciting happening? That’s okay, mic up Jarvis for practice and turn the camera on. He’ll give you everything you need. Falling to the ice trying to argue a penalty with an imaginary official. Waiting for his turn while singing Justin Timberlake’s ‘I’m bringing sexy back.’ Without even thinking about it, Jarvis gives you enough to fill your content calendar for the week.
To be clear Jarvis knows when to use his comedic gifts. Rod Brind’Amour noted in his Tuesday press availability that Jarvis is tight-lipped around his head coach and a constant professional. But Brind’Amour admitted, “I know how he is.”
Seth Jarvis contributes more to the Carolina Hurricanes than just on-ice production. It seems simple to others who don’t work in the massive spotlight that comes with being a major league athlete. But Seth Jarvis and other young players around the National Hockey League are giving fans what they’ve always wanted. Personality.
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