C Aleksi Heponiemi- Modo, Hockey Allsvenskan, Sweden (2017, 40th, FLA)

[Kaako Kappo]

Many players from the past in WHL and other junior leagues who scored a ridiculous amount of points and became nothing. The goal scoring is ridiculous in these leagues and the goalies are absolutely terrible. Check out some highlights if you don't believe me. Heponiemi becoming an NHLer is not set in stone. Not even close. I think a lot of people here are getting ahead of things. The point totals in these leagues really, REALLY don't matter much. I mean the kid Hepo is playing with and sharing the #1 spot in points was picked in 5th round by to Coyotes and scored more than Heponiemi did last season. I wouldn't give much weight to the point totals.

I wish him all the best and i do hope he carves out a career in the big league, but people drawing him into the Panthers top 6 already should probably slow down a bit.

 

[ijuka]

Many players from the past in WHL and other junior leagues who scored a ridiculous amount of points and became nothing. The goal scoring is ridiculous in these leagues and the goalies are absolutely terrible. Check out some highlights if you don't believe me. Heponiemi becoming an NHLer is not set in stone. Not even close. I think a lot of people here are getting ahead of things. The point totals in these leagues really, REALLY don't matter much. I mean the kid Hepo is playing with and sharing the #1 spot in points was picked in 5th round by to Coyotes and scored more than Heponiemi did last season. I wouldn't give much weight to the point totals.

I wish him all the best and i do hope he carves out a career in the big league, but people drawing him into the Panthers top 6 already should probably slow down a bit.

Steenbergen is a season older than Heponiemi and that's pretty significant. He's a max ager for the league.

List of u19 players who scored at least 2.5 PPG in WHL:

Joe Sakic
Rob Brown
Mike Modano
Dale Derkatch
Ray Whitney
Aleksi Heponiemi
Dan Hodgson
Marc Habscheid
Kevin Clemens

Only 2 players are busts, one of whom was 5'6". The other is Kevin Clemens who had bad scoring in the league at all times except one year scored 58 points in 17 games - not sure how(Wouldn't be the first time eliteprospects makes a mistake?).

There are more HoFers than busts on that list.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Steenbergen is a season older than Heponiemi and that's pretty significant. He's a max ager for the league.

List of u19 players who scored at least 2.5 PPG in WHL:

Joe Sakic
Rob Brown
Mike Modano
Dale Derkatch
Aleksi Heponiemi
Dan Hodgson
Marc Habscheid
Kevin Clemens

Only 2 players are busts, one of whom was 5'6". The other is Kevin Clemens who had bad scoring in the league at all times except one year scored 58 points in 17 games - not sure how.

There are more HoFers than busts on that list.

Yeah but there are 50 more games for Aleksi. Who says he'll score with this pace for the entire season?

 

[ijuka]

Yeah but there are 50 more games for Aleksi. Who says he'll score with this pace for the entire season?

Who's the last player to score at 2.7 PPG pace through his first 17 games and how much did his scoring fall off? It's not like this is a 2 game sample size.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Who's the last player to score at 2.7 PPG pace through his first 17 games and how much did his scoring fall off? It's not like this is a 2 game sample size.

Dunno who, but i'll wait until the season is over.

 

[Passchendaele]

Nic Petan had insane WHL numbers and he's struggling to make the show. Let's just wait before going nuts.

 

[ijuka]

1.79 PPG is pretty different from 2.7 ...

 

[Ippenator]

Nic Petan had insane WHL numbers and he's struggling to make the show. Let's just wait before going nuts.

Except Petan’s PPG was by one full point weaker than Heponiemi’s pace at the moment. Hepo’s scoring pace is absolutely insane.. A different story is, if he can really hold on to that pace until the end of the season.

But anyway by the eyetest I can say that Hepo is at least by a big margin better skater than Petan is, and also Hepo’s puck control skills are on a completely other level. So I honestly see pretty good chances that Hepo makes it big in the big league.

Those great junior league scorers that busted big time in the NHL, had usually some problems with skating or compete level or even both of them. I don’t see any of these problems with Hepo. Only time will tell, but I’m anyway pretty sure he will eventually have a great career in the NHL.

When he will be ready is really the biggest question in my opinion. He is of that slight build that he does definitely need to get at least by some margin stronger. Although as we know, in nowadays NHL it is possible to do really well even with a pretty slight build, as Gaudreau and Marner and other guys have already proved. But for that to be possible you have to have absolutely great skating, very high hockey IQ and sick hands, and fortunately Hepo has all of those.

 

[Jakeybonz2]

Yeah but there are 50 more games for Aleksi. Who says he'll score with this pace for the entire season?

in all likelihood he will not finish the season at 2.7 ppg but there's no reason to expect a dropoff to less than 2.4-2.5 because he's young so he's naturally getting better and he's actually picked up the scoring pace his last few games which is absurd. barring an injury to steenbergen or himself (gawdin is replaceable) he will finish with ~160-180 points in 72 games. anywhere around the higher end of that pretty much makes for as good of a guaranteed nhler as u can get these days from projections in juniors. and not just an nhler but an allstar if not superstar. I mean even overagers don't touch these point totals. its a truly special season and were all lucky to be witnessing it. I wish steenbergen the best in arizona but hey maybe the panthers will trade to keep them together they do love dealing with the coyotes. if tippett falters this year I could see a straight up deal if steen finishes with 70 goals

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Broncos might of taken a heavy loss at home tonight,but Heponiemi continues his streak to 10 games.
Heponiemi 1+1,Steenbergen 2+1. Steenbergen 1 point lead on Hepo.

1+1,1+4+2+1,1+1,1+1,1+1,1+1,1+4,1+3,1+1 = 11+18 (2.9 points per game).
27 shots on goal (2+1+3+7+1+4+4+1+2+2) = 11 goals with 27 sog (40 s%)

 

[HockeyHistorian]

27 shots on goal (2+1+3+7+1+4+4+1+2+2) = 11 goals with 27 sog (40 s%)

Now that's an unsustainable shooting percentage

 

[Artorius Horus T]

And the streak goes on,11 games now. Hepo 1+2 tonight with a W this time, 1 sog +1
last 11 games 12+20 for Hepo (1+1,1+4+2+1,1+1,1+1,1+1,1+1,1+4,1+3,1+1,1+2)
= 16+35=51 in 19 games

WHL top 10

1. Tyler Steenbergen 30+21=51 (2.68 ppg)
2. Aleksi Heponiemi 16+35=51 (2.68 ppg)
3. Glenn Gawdin 14+28=42 (2.21 ppg)
4. Matthew Phillips 16+22=38 (1.73 ppg)
5. Brayden Burke 8+29=37 (1.68 ppg)
6. Jayden Halbgewachs 18+17=35 (1.59 ppg)
7. Ty Lewis 10+24=34 (1.70 ppg)
8. Ty Ronning 22+11=34 (1.50 ppg)
9. Jordy Stallard 15+18=33 (1.57 ppg)
10 Kole Lind 11+21=32 (1.60 ppg)

 

[Artorius Horus T]

WHL 18,u18 top 10

1. Heponiemi 51pts (2.68) | 2017 drafted
2. Glass 30pts (1.66) - 17 | 2017 drafted
3. Mattheos 28pts (1.40) - 17 | 2017 drafted
4. Fonstad 27pts (1.28) - 17 | undrafted (2018)
5. Fix-Wolansky 26pts (1.23) - 17 | undrafted 2017
6. Topping 24pts (1.14) | undrafted (2018)*
7. Bellerive 23pts (1.27) | undrafted 2017
8. Jokiharju 23pts (1.27) | 2017 drafted
9. Malm 23pts (1.04) | undrafted 2017
10. Almeida 23pts (1.04) | undrafted 2017


* 18th birth day today

 

[Ippenator]

WHL 18,u18 top 10

1. Heponiemi 51pts (2.68) | 2017 drafted
2. Glass 30pts (1.66) - 17 | 2017 drafted
3. Mattheos 28pts (1.40) - 17 | 2017 drafted
4. Fonstad 27pts (1.28) - 17 | undrafted (2018)
5. Fix-Wolansky 26pts (1.23) - 17 | undrafted 2017
6. Topping 24pts (1.14) | undrafted (2018)*
7. Bellerive 23pts (1.27) | undrafted 2017
8. Jokiharju 23pts (1.27) | 2017 drafted
9. Malm 23pts (1.04) | undrafted 2017
10. Almeida 23pts (1.04) | undrafted 2017


* 18th birth day today

Jokiharju is having also an amazing season. I’m a bit surprised there hasn’t been really much talk about him on these boards.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Jokiharju is having also an amazing season. I’m a bit surprised there hasn’t been really much talk about him on these boards.

Indeed.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Broncos and Heponiemi 3 games for 3 days
1 down 2 to go.

 

[Luc Labelle]

Steenbergen is a season older than Heponiemi and that's pretty significant. He's a max ager for the league.

List of u19 players who scored at least 2.5 PPG in WHL:

Joe Sakic
Rob Brown
Mike Modano
Dale Derkatch
Ray Whitney
Aleksi Heponiemi
Dan Hodgson
Marc Habscheid
Kevin Clemens

Only 2 players are busts, one of whom was 5'6". The other is Kevin Clemens who had bad scoring in the league at all times except one year scored 58 points in 17 games - not sure how(Wouldn't be the first time eliteprospects makes a mistake?).

There are more HoFers than busts on that list.

Kevin Clemens had 58 points in 71 games in the 85-86 Regina season. It is a typo on eliteprospects site.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Well...that goal streak is over,11 games 12 games,but the point streak isnt.
0+1 tonight. Hepo takes the first place, because Steenbergen got goose eggs 0+0.

W was gotten,but Broncos were bad,their goalie Hofer was great though
41 saves 1 goal against,3/3 in the SO.

2 down 1 to go from their 3 games in 3 days.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Broncos suffer heavy loss,Heponiemi's point streak continues.

0+2...man that team IS Heponiemi-Gawdin-Steenbergen,
not much support from others.

Heponiemi 16+38=54 +28 in 21 games. (2.57 ppg)

 

[Hagged]

Broncos suffer heavy loss,Heponiemi's point streak continues.

0+2...man that team IS Heponiemi-Gawdin-Steenbergen,
not much support from others.

Heponiemi 16+38=54 +28 in 21 games. (2.57 ppg)

His PPG pace is dwindling down. Oh well, it was too good to be true anyway.

 

[Hokinaittii]

His PPG pace is dwindling down. Oh well, it was too good to be true anyway.

I can't wait for him to have another 4 point night and everything will be back to normal.

 

[Hockeyisl1fe]

He and Steenbergen are like Gretzky and Kurri of the WHL lol.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Hepo's 2017-2018 highlights after 21 games
(skip to 00:35)

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Heponiemi haves it all; tremendous speed,really high hockey IQ,
shot that he should use more often,surprisingly strong,
considering his weight,but then again for him
its quality of those pounds over quantity,
like the same way as Johnny Hockey.

 

[Ippenator]

Hepo's 2017-2018 highlights after 21 games
(skip to 00:35)

Watched this only now, and have to say that DAMN this kid is talented! I can’t wait to see how he keeps developing. The skating, passing and the stickhandling are just phenomenal, and even his shot seems pretty good. Such an exciting prospect really! Thanks for sharing this video here.