We have covered three Canadian/CHL prospects so far, so it feels right that we divert our attention overseas for the next installment in the series on upcoming projected top 10 picks in the next few NHL Entry Drafts. In particular, I will be taking a look at a left-handed blueliner over in Finland. In this particular profile, we see a player with a tremendous amount of talent and promise, but may be held back by certain attributes which really should not matter. Let us spend some time assessing this second-generation talent and make some assessments about where he could be headed. He appears destined for greatness, but may encounter some bumps on the road through no fault of his own. In fact, that has possibly already happened to him early on into his career.

The son of Jani Kiviharju, a RW who played in Finland, France, and Denmark over the course of a 10 season professional career, Aron Kiviharju was born on January 25th, 2006 in Esbjerg, Denmark, while the elder Kiviharju was playing in the Danish Superisligaen for EfB Ishockey. With his background, Aron grew up in Finland with the game running through his veins. A product of the youth system of TPS in Turku, his playmaking skills and vision have made him a dominant offensive-minded defenseman at every age grade he has played at. At the U16 level, he was an over a point-per-game player. At the U20 level (which he reached in the 2021-22 season), he was close to this pace, putting up 30 points in 35 regular season games in his first campaign at this grade (on 7 goals and 23 assists) with a +15, while adding 1 goal and 5 assists in 8 postseason appearances and serving as an alternate captain for TPS U20. Kiviharju would also captain Finland’s U16 team that year, scoring 8 points in 5 appearances, as well as tallying 6 assists in 6 games for the U18 team at the IIHF World U18 Championships as the Finns earned a bronze medal (with 7 points in 8 total appearances for the age grade side that season).

The next season, Kiviharju continued to excel at the U20 level for TPS, putting up 20 points in 22 games and a +11, and earning his first call-up to the top-level pro league in Finland, the Liiga. In 21 games with TPS’ main team in 2022-23, Kiviharju tallied 3 helpers and had an even +/- while playing top four defensive minutes. On the international stage, he was an alternate captain yet again, this time for the U18 team at the WJC-U18. A disappointing performance for the Finns, they were eliminated in the quarters and placed fifth, but Kiviharju performed quite well, dishing out 7 apples in 5 games and posting a +6. In 17 appearances altogether in 2022-23 for Finland U18 (with whom he also earned a bronze medal in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scoring a goal and 5 assists in 6 games), he tallied 3 goals and 16 assists for 19 points. Additionally, he made 3 appearances with the U20 team, posting 2 assists and a +6. However, he was cut from the team for the World Juniors, denying him the opportunity to be a rare instance of a 16-year-old appearing at the tournament [NOTE: The article from The Hockey News linked above states that he was on the team’s roster for the WJC, but this is incorrect/a factual error by THN].

Despite this, however, Kiviharju has definitely made a name for himself, and while his 2023-24 season is off to a somewhat challenging start with his new club HIFK in the capital of Helsinki (he currently has no points and a -3 in 4 games, though the team is performing well with a record of 3 wins and 1 loss), he is a very likely top 10 pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Where he ends up precisely in that range, however, is up for a fair amount of speculation. Some might expect him to fall between 4 and 6, but it is perhaps more reasonable to go towards the end. Mind you, Kiviharju is only 5’10”, and as noted on this site before, scouts do have a bit of an obsession with height that is unfounded. While the case study regarding this and revolving around Denver Barkey was focused on forwards, this definitely applies to defensemen, as well, and it is equally absurd. Cale Makar, Adam Fox, Torey Krug, Jamie Drysdale, and Jared Spurgeon are all considered “undersized” and all are also elite or at least stars at the position. As such, and with his own profile in mind, Kiviharju’s size will not do anything to inhibit his accomplishments, but may provide hurdles to jump over in getting to NHL stardom. I cannot say for certain, but I cannot help but wonder if it was a factor in his cutting from the WJC team (to its credit, despite the factual error within it, the THN article did correctly note Finland as an “identity-over-talent” program; and in that framework, Kiviharju presents a curious case in that he does have a family history in the sport on his side, but is lacking in what should be considered a non-factor element to his physical attributes that is often too strongly emphasized). That said, this is all the more reason to root for the Finnish defenseman’s success, and he, like Berkly Catton, is a player eligible for next year’s draft that I am really excited about. Whoever drafts Kiviharju is getting a fantastic facilitator from the blueline who adds an excellent element to a team’s offensive capabilities, has great hockey IQ and vision in all zones, and is already getting steady minutes in a professional league prior to the age of 18. He should be a steady defender at the NHL level for many years.