Story Summary
Aron Kiviharju and Axel Landen are giving Liiga two notable examples of young defencemen finding offence in established professional roles this season.
Kiviharju, the Minnesota Wild prospect, has recorded seven assists in 11 games for HIFK. Four of those assists have arrived across his past five outings, providing an encouraging recent lift for the 20-year-old in Finland’s top division.
At TPS, San Jose Sharks prospect Landen has five points, comprising one goal and four assists, in 18 games during his second season with the club. The 21-year-old collected eight points in 57 games for TPS last term, making his current production a clear step forward in rate even before the season reaches its later stages.
Both players are producing from the blue line, but their situations carry different backgrounds. Kiviharju combines his HIFK work with substantial experience in Finland’s junior national-team leadership group, while Landen is building on a broader development path that has included Sweden’s top two professional divisions and two American Hockey League appearances for San Jose in 2024-25.
Key Facts
- Aron Kiviharju has seven assists in 11 Liiga games for HIFK this season.
- Four of Kiviharju’s seven assists have come in his past five games for HIFK.
- Kiviharju captained Finland at the Under-18 World Championship and at two IIHF World Junior Championships.
- Kiviharju registered five assists in six games at the 2026 World Juniors.
- Minnesota selected Kiviharju in the fourth round, 122nd overall, of the 2024 NHL Draft.
- Axel Landen has five points, including one goal and four assists, in 18 Liiga games for TPS.
- Landen recorded eight points, including two goals and six assists, in 57 games for TPS last season.
- Landen has previously played in Sweden’s top two professional divisions and appeared in two American Hockey League games for San Jose in 2024-25.
IHM Discussion
The shared theme is not simply that Kiviharju and Landen are young defencemen with NHL affiliations; it is that each is adding production while playing a full professional schedule in Liiga.
Kiviharju’s seven assists in 11 games put him at a strong early pace, and the concentration of four assists in five games shows that his contribution has remained active recently rather than resting on a brief opening burst. Captaining Finland at an Under-18 World Championship and two World Junior Championships placed him in prominent leadership roles before this HIFK season, while his five assists in six games at the 2026 World Juniors underline his ability to contribute offensively in that setting.
Landen’s progress is steadier but no less relevant. His five points in 18 games have already brought him close to the eight points he accumulated across 57 TPS appearances last season. That comparison matters because it reflects a different level of involvement from the same player in the same league and club environment. His previous experience in Sweden and with San Jose’s American Hockey League side also means this is part of a longer professional development track, not an isolated first exposure to senior hockey.
Why It Matters
Liiga offers Kiviharju and Landen regular competition in Finland’s highest domestic league, where their production can be assessed alongside the demands of a professional season.
For Kiviharju, the immediate interest is whether his recent run of assists can continue for HIFK. His international leadership history is already established, but the present value lies in converting that background into sustained club influence from defence.
For Landen, the comparison with his 2025-26 output gives the season a particularly clear reference point. He needed 57 games to reach eight points last season and has five through 18 appearances this time. That does not settle where his final total will land, but it establishes that he is contributing more frequently than he did in his first TPS campaign.
Mini Q&A
How many points does Aron Kiviharju have for HIFK this season?
Kiviharju has seven assists in 11 Liiga games for HIFK.
What is Axel Landen’s scoring record for TPS this season?
Landen has one goal and four assists for five points in 18 Liiga games.
Which NHL teams hold Kiviharju’s and Landen’s rights?
Minnesota selected Kiviharju in the 2024 NHL Draft, while San Jose selected Landen in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Coach Mark Comment
Landen’s five points may look modest beside Kiviharju’s seven assists in 11 games, but the useful detail is the 18-game sample against his 57 games with TPS last season. A young defenceman does not have to force a headline play every night for that change to mean something. He is already finding a way onto the scoresheet more often in the same league and with the same club.
Kiviharju’s recent four assists in five games carry a different kind of weight. HIFK have a defenceman whose junior international leadership is well documented, but club hockey asks him to make that influence visible over a regular professional schedule. The two paths are not identical, and that is what makes the Liiga picture worthwhile.
IHM Final View
Kiviharju’s recent assist run for HIFK and Landen’s improved scoring rate at TPS give Liiga a pair of distinct blue-line development stories. Kiviharju is carrying established junior international credentials into a productive start with HIFK, while Landen is showing tangible statistical progress in his second TPS season. Their seasons should be judged by the work they continue to produce in Finland’s top division, but both have supplied meaningful early evidence of offensive growth.