Kashawn Aitcheson
| Kashawn Aitcheson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
September 21, 2006 Toronto, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 196 lb (89 kg; 14 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| OHL team | Barrie Colts | ||
| NHL draft |
17th overall, 2025 New York Islanders | ||
Kashawn Aitcheson (born September 21, 2006) is a Canadian junior ice hockey defenceman for the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He was drafted 17th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2025 NHL entry draft.[1]
Early life
Aitcheson was raised on the east side of Scarborough, Ontario, spending much of his childhood living near Ted Reeve Community Arena where he played minor hockey.[1][2] His parents divorced when he was eight years old, and he helped raise his younger brother.[2][3] Aitcheson credits his family, especially his grandparents and his uncle who played Junior A and NCAA Division III hockey, for supporting his hockey career.[1][3] His father is from Jamaica; Aitcheson has said he looks up to players who have "paved the path for our generation, to push Black hockey and change the culture in hockey as well".[4]
Playing career
On August 31, 2022, Aitcheson signed with the Barrie Colts of the OHL.[5] During the 2022–23 season, he recorded one goal and two assists in 23 games. During the 2023–24 season, he recorded eight goals and 31 assists in 64 regular season games. During the playoffs he recorded one goal and three assists in six games.[6] On January 18, 2024, after he legally body-checked a Sudbury Wolves player, Aitcheson fought with another Wolves player. Following the game, members of the Wolves' team group chat wrote about rewarding a bounty to the player who injured Aitcheson in the next Barrie–Sudbury match. An OHL investigation resulted in the suspensions of two Wolves players for 10 and 15 games, and the Colts chose not to play Aitcheson against the Wolves for the remainder of the season.[3][2]
During the 2024–25 season, Aitcheson recorded 26 goals and 33 assists in 64 regular season games. On October 22, 2024, he was selected to the CHL/USA Prospects Challenge.[7] On March 15, 2025, he scored his 24th goal of the season, setting a single-season franchise record for goals by a defenceman, and surpassing the previous record held jointly by Andrew Marshall, Aaron Ekblad and Brandt Clarke.[8][9] In recognition of his play, Aitcheson was named to the OHL's Second All-Star Team.[10]
International play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Canada | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World U18 Championships | ||
| 2024 Finland | ||
On April 16, 2024, Aitcheson was selected to represent Canada at the 2024 IIHF World U18 Championships.[11] During the tournament he recorded one goal and two assists in seven games and won a gold medal.[12][13]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2022–23 | Barrie Colts | OHL | 23 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 35 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 2023–24 | Barrie Colts | OHL | 64 | 8 | 31 | 39 | 126 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 17 | ||
| 2024–25 | Barrie Colts | OHL | 64 | 26 | 33 | 59 | 88 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 28 | ||
| OHL totals | 151 | 35 | 66 | 101 | 249 | 26 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 52 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Canada | U18 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| Junior totals | 13 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 41 | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| OHL | ||
| Second All-Star Team | 2025 | [10] |
References
- ^ a b c Wheeler, Scott (February 20, 2025). "Meet Kashawn 'Kash' Aitcheson, the 2025 NHL Draft's meanest prospect: 'He's got that extra'". The Athletic. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ a b c Campbell, Ken (June 24, 2025). "Toronto-born NHL draft prospect Kashawn Aitcheson is a protector — both on the ice and away from the rink". Toronto Star. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ a b c Matisz, John (June 24, 2025). "'Teams are dying for a guy like this': Meet Kashawn Aitcheson, throwback D-man". theScore.com. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ Falkner, Mark (June 25, 2025). "'He can destroy a guy': 'Unicorn' defenseman Aitcheson could fall to Red Wings at No. 13 in draft". The Detroit News. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ Sweetland, Josh (August 31, 2022). "Kashawn Aitcheson commits to Colts". CHL.ca. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ "Barrie blue-liners ranked ahead of 2025 NHL Draft". barrietoday.com. January 14, 2025. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ "Kashawn Aitcheson Announced to the 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge Presented by Kubota". CHL.ca. October 22, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ Sweetland, Josh (March 20, 2025). "Colts' Aitcheson becomes franchise's single season goal-scoring leader on the blueline". CHL.ca. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ Pereira, Gene (March 16, 2025). "Aitcheson record-setter sparks Colts in overtime win over Sarnia". barrie360.com. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ a b "OHL Announces 2024-25 All-Star and All-Rookie Teams". Canadian Hockey League. May 30, 2025. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
- ^ "Team Canada comes calling for Barrie Colts Aitcheson, Beaudoin". barrietoday.com. April 16, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ "Canada wins gold medal at 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship". Hockey Canada. May 5, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ Kennedy, Ryan (October 29, 2024). "2025 NHL Draft: You Will Love Kashawn Aitcheson – As Long As He's On Your Team". The Hockey News. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database