F Aito Iguchi - Saitama Warriors, Japan (2021 Draft)

[I am toxic]

If you like to see Aito Iguchi in most recent games against NA AAA elite team,
See below link for full game video broadcasted at Pat Quinn Classic 2015-16 held around Vancouver Dec. 2015 (see in full screen mode for score banner, skip to 9min for start of game). This tourney attracted AAA elite clubs who are regular at the Quebec Peewee tourney. Videos are against NSWC and Langley, NSWC regular at Quebec tourney and I believe they won it in 2012.

http://sportscanada.tv/pqc/archives/6317
http://sportscanada.tv/pqc/archives/6327

Just watch Aito in the game and how he and the Japan team plays against some of the elite AAA teams in NA should put a lot of the comments and uncertainties about how Aito fairs against them to rest...for now at this Peewee level.

Actually the Japanese team shows good fore and back checks, organized, has some system plays and overall a descent team considering that the team was put together weeks prior to the tourney.

Aito Iguchi is #34 (small, blue helmet) and in the game shows that he has the abilities, puck handling, skating and hockey IQ skills at a very high level even compared to elites in NA peewee. Despite his small size he actually skates fast enough at par or better.
He won one of the two highest scorer prize of the tourney with 5 - 15 - 8 - 23. That's more than 4 points per game against AAA elite teams in NA.

Yusaku Ando #87 (red pants, white helmet)
Personally, I like Yusaku better, he is also a forward (sometimes played defenceman), much bigger than Aito (big in NA standard also), fast and also demonstrates similar skills Aito possesses. Reading many Japanese local web sites and articles on him (I read and speak Japanese fluently), he is a #1 prospect in Hokkaido hockey scene top sorer records even playing in the league with older kids. No disrespect to Aito I still think he is one of the best out there. I just think Yusaku is a better total package.
He also won the other highest scorer prize at 5 - 13 - 9 - 22.
Another notable is Tsubasa Yamaguchi #8.

Trevor Wong considered one of the top peewees in NA scene faired well but at 6 - 8 - 5 - 13 (fourth place in the tourney)

(Hayate Abe #88 won the best defenseman of the tourney.)

These are based on facts and video provided.

As a side comment, the team Japan Samurai in this tourney is a Japan select team with some of the top players chosen from Kansai, Chubu, Kanto, Tohoku, Hokuriku and Hokkaido regions. (They also called the team as Samurai since the Japanese national hockey team is called Samurai)

There is also a Japan Select team that is put together to enter the Quebec Peewee Tourney, coached by Kurokawa, they enter in Inter B division and have made semifinals every year they entered, but this team unfortunately does not have the best Japanese Peewee players due to the timing of the Q tourney coinciding with the important league matches in Japan and the top teams do not allow their best players to be absent. So this team is far from the best select of Japan. Seems that they have difficulty pulling any players together every year...resulting in having to open it to girls and 9 and 10 year olds (not that I have anything against girl peewees).
The team you see in this video at Pat Quinn Classic is much better represented.

I am sure that some of you commented negatively about Aito's ability and hockey calibre at Peewee level in Japan will become defensive and create negative comments to this post...but just let the facts and actual video of the game speak.



My conclusion - Aito is just as good and fairs well in NA AAA elites at Peewee level. Top Peewee players in Japan are just as good as top NA Peewee AAA elite players. Their individual skill levels for the boys mentioned above, are at a very top level also.

my 5 cents!

Fair enough.

But why did you link games to Langley (6-11-3 in league hockey last season) and NSWC (2-15-3)? Hardly “selects/AAA" teams, not even good association teams at that time (altho NSWC normally is pretty good).

Against BWC (18-2-0) the Japanese team lost both games pretty badly and Aito got only one assist. Head to head in those two games, Trevor Wong (3G 2A) outscored Aito five to one. There was an ohfive (Atom playing up in PeeWee) at the Pat Quinn that I think is as good as Aito, despite the 2 year age difference.

At the 2015 BCSC (actual AAA hockey, unlike the Pat Quinn) where they both played, Trevor tripled Aito’s points totals 12 to 4, and was still only 2nd overall in scoring (Aito was 2nd on his team and tied with several others at 19th overall, playing on a Lower Mainland team).

And as mentioned above, I have watched him live, as well as the vids. And I talked to the parents of our co-ed ohfour AA spring team that played Aito's ohthree team in Japan, losing to them 7-5.

I agree that Aito (and Ando) would fare well in NA PeeWee AAA (now they would be Bantam) – but I don’t agree they are as quite as good as top Lower Mainland AAA players, let alone top NA AAA players. YMMV.

 

[bobby183]

My opinion and comments are about the quality of Japanese peewee level players, and not this Samurai Japan team that represented here.
This is because as a team, club like BWC where the players have played together during the season and being coached together well already has advantage (team Japan here was comprised of players from all over Japan which does not play together at home was just put together for this tourney). Games against Langley and NSWC at this tourney better displayed the skating, puck handling, passing of these Japanese players better in the game setting to see. Thus I used them. My point was about the players abilities not the team.

Yes, BWC was much more better as a team at this tourney, more organized with good system plays. But the context in which the games are played is not necessary equal for the reason, also add the travelling, time difference, different ice surface (Rinks in Japan are all Olympic size like in Europe), foreign land and food, all may work against them.
This is not my point though, as I mentioned, my point is comparing the players skills.

Looking at individual hockey skills of the two Japanese players I mentioned, I still believe that they are at par or better than most Canadian players in this tourney, even compared to the BWC players (individual stats proves it), just watch how they pass, receive, skate, stick handle in these games. As for their ability to play solid in system plays as a team is another question, but I think we can't conclusively say that they are worse due to the reasons I mentioned above and less chances they have in Japan. I will say that the coaching of Hockey and especially the competition level is much better in Canada than in Japan at all levels, more so at higher age groups.
My hat is off to these Japanese players for attainting the skills and quality level as a player despite poor hockey environment and resources they have had compared to the Canadian boys and girls here.

 

[I am toxic]

My opinion and comments are about the quality of Japanese peewee level players, and not this Samurai Japan team that represented here.
This is because as a team, club like BWC where the players have played together during the season and being coached together well already has advantage (team Japan here was comprised of players from all over Japan which does not play together at home was just put together for this tourney). Games against Langley and NSWC at this tourney better displayed the skating, puck handling, passing of these Japanese players better in the game setting to see. Thus I used them. My point was about the players abilities not the team.

Yes, BWC was much more better as a team at this tourney, more organized with good system plays. But the context in which the games are played is not necessary equal for the reason, also add the travelling, time difference, different ice surface (Rinks in Japan are all Olympic size like in Europe), foreign land and food, all may work against them.
This is not my point though, as I mentioned, my point is comparing the players skills.

Looking at individual hockey skills of the two Japanese players I mentioned, I still believe that they are at par or better than most Canadian players in this tourney, even compared to the BWC players (individual stats proves it), just watch how they pass, receive, skate, stick handle in these games. As for their ability to play solid in system plays as a team is another question, but I think we can't conclusively say that they are worse due to the reasons I mentioned above and less chances they have in Japan. I will say that the coaching of Hockey and especially the competition level is much better in Canada than in Japan at all levels, more so at higher age groups.
My hat is off to these Japanese players for attainting the skills and quality level as a player despite poor hockey environment and resources they have had compared to the Canadian boys and girls here.

Well said. Excellent points regarding systems, and effects of travel etc. - I had not considered that.

 

[Zaddy]

GoPro recently released a new video about Aito Iguchi.

Neat little 11 minute video, I recommend watching it.

 

[Legend123]

GoPro recently released a new video about Aito Iguchi.

Neat little 11 minute video, I recommend watching it.

5 years to become the first overall pick

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Japanese Ice Hockey Prodigy Aito Iguchi



He has insane amount of skills and he moved to Canada to train with Pavel Barber.
Do you think he has a future in the NHL? Is he a potential superstar? He's considered a prodigy right now.

In 2016, he played in three elite level tournaments in Canada. He was named scoring champion in two of the three tournaments.

What do you think?

 

[zar]

Are you sure that was Johnny Gaudreau on the ice? That is a compliment to JG.... Aito has some sweet hands, wow!

 

[DonskoiDonscored]

Do you think he has a future in the NHL? Is he a potential superstar? He's considered a prodigy right now.

He's 13 years old...

Everytime someone brings this up it's a necessity to point out (and I hate to do it) John McFarland, Akim Aliu, and Jaegger White.

Could he make it? Maybe. It's too early to tell.
Could he flame out within the next few years? Yes.
Can I definitively give you an answer? No.

 

[93LEAFS]

He has insane amount of skills and he moved to Canada to train with Pavel Barber.
Do you think he has a future in the NHL? Is he a potential superstar? He's considered a prodigy right now.

In 2016, he played in three elite level tournaments in Canada. He was named scoring champion in two of the three tournaments.

What do you think?

He has a chance, but as pointed out he's 13. I feel worried about making predictions about kids in Minor Midget. He could not develop, lose passion, or have trouble adapting. While there are stories about kids like Marner as a 4 year old (Was CP24 player of the week), McDavid at a young age or Stamkos pre-teenager, there are 100 other kids with news clippings like that who don't even crack the CHL or D1. If he (and someone like David Levin) end up in the NHL they will be amazing stories (even bigger than Matthews probably) but its a long way too go.

Out of recent guys just look at the hype around someone like Alex Forsberg or Sean Day (he could still turn it around). I hope to see this tread bumped in 2 or 3 years when he is in the WHL draft with positive news, but obviously I'm pessimistic.

Unless his family has fully relocated with him (and he is not just visiting) maybe next year going to Notre Dame in Saskatchewan or Schatuk would be a good idea.

 

[Daximus]

Crazy how people rag on this kid. The big difference between guys like Akin Aliu and Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid and Jaegger White is work ethic. It's one thing to have a natural skill and IQ in a sport, it's another to be able to build on that natural skill and IQ in more formative years. But what separates the have's from the have not's will always be work ethic. You will never ever get anywhere on skill alone. You have to put in the time and train. Anyone will tell you that. Hell more players probably make it to the NHL that have little skill and a strong work ethic than those that have tons of skill with absolutely no drive. Aito needs to maintain that work ethic and use his detractors as fuel. Size doesn't matter when you have the drive to be the best.

 

[canadianguy77]

Let's wait and see how puberty treats him first.

 

[Laveuglette]

He has skills, but playing hockey is much, much more than that. Who knows.

 

[Mitts]

Outrageous skills.

 

[Royal Canuck]

Yeah, he's got great puck skills and as of right now is a step ahead of his age group.

However, he's gotta keep working extra hard into his teenage years and continue not only to work on his offensive game but become a student of the game in full entirety, without the puck as well.

There's tonnes of guys that can dangle and be skilled, but you have to play both ends of the ice to make it to the NHL.

Good story, hopefully he makes it.

 

[Sky04]

What a kid, moving to Canada at 11 years old by yourself?

 

[FinnLightning26]

Would be awesome to see a star player from Japan.

 

[rockjngo]

Considering average height of Japanese male is 171 cm. This kid will need to be an outlier and grow to at least 180 cm. Well unless your French and name Desharnais you get a free pass.

 

[SI90]

Kids got
Some nasty mitts. I hope they're paying equally enough attention to skating though. You can have great stick handling skills but if you can skate it won't get you too far.

I'm rooting for the kid though.

 

[IComeInPeace]

Thanks for posting that.
I look forward to seeing how far he can progress over the coming years.
His stickhandling is insane.
Because he's likely to be at a size disadvantage, his skating will have to be a major strength. It looks like that is an area where he could improve.

 

[Sam Spade]

The best thing about that video was the trainer constantly talking about how the mental is as important as the skills.

Believing in yourself and not the doubters is half the battle really.

 

[Bieber fever]

Good luck trying that stuff in the NHL

 

[TheUnseenHand]

You might wonder about his work ethic, but I believe the Japanese culture is to really pour your soul into your work. If this kid really loves the game, I'd have a hard time believing he doesn't have one of the strongest work ethics on his team. And while he is a kid, and acts like a kid, he is both humble and driven. "I'm not good now, but I want to get better." "Brandon is the reason I'm good." "I want to be as good as Brandon." "Over here everyone is a good player." He clearly has drive and is exceptionally respectful of his teachers and of the game. I have no idea why anyone would have a single bad thing to say about a kid like that. It would be great for the game to have a star player from Japan.

Whether he does make it or not will depend on whether he keeps that passion for the game and ultimately if his skating and strength improve enough. I would never once be concerned about his work ethic or willingness to learn, though. And if his only knock is his size, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to draft him.

 

[Moorpheus*]

Good luck trying that stuff in the NHL

Yeah its not like there are nhlers that successfully pull it off. Thank you for your input on a 13 year old.

Does anyone know what level he's playing at in Canada?

 

[Stealth JD]

Good luck trying that stuff in the NHL

Congrats on being that guy. Way to completely miss the point.

 

[dubey]

Will score all the points in NHL