ARON KIVIHARJU

Defense
5’10/165
Left
HIFK (Liiga)

Heading into last year, Kiviharju’s name was the one on top of everyone’s mind. But some growing pains have dropped him in some scouts’ opinions, and being a defenseman always makes it harder to go No. 1. He has dynamic puck skills and skates well while moving pucks with ease. The question about him will always be his size as he’s listed at 5-10, 165. However, he is indeed a special offensive talent thanks to his strong hockey sense and ability to read the play. Although consistency has been an issue because he had been playing against Pros as a 16-year-old, he displays the poise, maturity, and confidence that makes him a household name.
During the 2022-23 season, Kiviharju split time with TPS U20 and TPS in Liiga; he was dominant in the U20 league putting up 20 points in 22 games but due to a lack of experience playing against pros, he only had 3 points in 21 games in Liiga. It’s not uncommon for an underaged player to receive significant ice time. But the Finnish coaching staff put Kiviharju on the ice in all situations, even over older players with more experience. With 24:58 in average ice time, only Slovakia’s Maxim Strbak (25:44) played more during the U-18s, and Strbak was needed much more on that weaker Slovakian blueline. Finland had a much stronger D-corps, and yet Kiviharju was far and away the best Finnish skater. He finished with seven assists, with six of them being primary. Kiviharju has stood out playing against much older competition in Liiga at a young age and should be an elite puck-moving defenseman at the NHL level.

Size/Strength Below Average
Skating Excellent
Shot/Scoring Average
Puckhandling Good
Physical Play Average
Offensive Play Great
Defensive Play Good
Hockey Sense Excellent
Competitiveness Great

Strengths

1. Kiviharju’s hockey sense is outstanding, and he creates a ton of offense due to his brain, skill, and elusiveness; he has NHL PP1 abilities.
2. He manages to play in front of him with incredible poise and comfort, directing and influencing play all the way down the ice.
3. He’s an excellent skater, elusive on the offensive blue line, and jumps to space effectively on defense; has the look of an “offense man” — a combination forward/defender.”

Areas of Improvement

1. Undersized Defenseman
2. Consistency as a point-producing defenseman

Scouting Report

Aron Kiviharju had a ton of early buzz about him at a very early age, when videos and threads about him started to pop up back when he was just 11 years old. Kiviharju is 17 now and is considered one of the top prospects for the 2024 NHL Draft. As a 16-year-old, he split the year between TPS’ Liiga and U-20 teams, recording three points against pros and 20 points at the junior level. He was the best player for Finland at the U18 World Junior Championships, putting up 7 points in 5 games, and was also a big part of Finland at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, putting up 6 points in 5 games. His hockey IQ allowed him to dominate against his own age group, but his lack of size at 5-foot-10 caused issues against pros. At a basic level, few players in the 2024 draft class move the puck like Kiviharju. He’s so smart with his decision-making, whether it be waiting for the right pass or electing to do the work in close himself. Scouts describe him as a “proactive” defenseman that takes away time and space with little difficulty. Aron manages to play in front of him with incredible poise, influencing play all the way down the ice. He’s a joy to watch advance play under pressure inside his own zone, effortlessly side-stepping forecheckers to headman pucks. Kiviharju has the raw potential to be an elite powerplay quarterback, but some question how effective his game translates to the NHL. Scouts have compared Kiviharju to Adam Fox, who happens to be Kiviharju’s favorite player due to how he thinks the game and distributes the puck. Fox just completed his second 70-point season with the New York Rangers, so if Kiviharju can unlock that offensive prowess, watch out. He was the 3rd best defenseman in a loaded draft for Defenseman that also included Arytom Levshunov, Sam Dickinson, Henry Mews, Cole Hutson, Zayne Parekh, Adam Jiricek, Charlie Elick, and Zeev Buium before he sustained an injury in training, which will keep him out 4 months. This timeline means he will likely miss the 2024 World Juniors and about half the season; this will have a severe impact on his draft stock and will most definitely knock him out of the top 20. With this said, I think Kiviharju has proven he can play against Pros at a young age and if he has a strong second half of the season after his return, he should have no problem solidifying himself as a 1st round pick because he may have the highest upside of any of the defenseman in this draft.

Skill: Dynamic offensive defenseman, with outstanding hockey sense and skating ability

NHL Comparable: Adam Fox

NHL Potential: Top 4 Offensive Defenseman

Season	Team	League	GP	G	PTS
2022-23	TPS U20	U20 SM-sarja	30	3	26
	TPS	Liiga	21	0	3
	Finland U18 (all)	International-Jr	17	3	19
2023-24	HIFK	Liiga	7	1	2
	Finland U20 (all)	International-Jr	6	0	2