13-year-old hockey phenom Aito Iguchi shows off ridiculous skills in GoPro video
If you're a hockey fan with an internet connection, there's a good chance you've seen some of Aito Iguchi's work. He's a hockey phenom from Japan who has been captivating the web with his incredible skills on the ice for a number of his now-13 years.
Thanks to his dazzling stick-handling abilities and impressive shot that's dubbed him a hockey prodigy from a young age, Iguchi is now the subject of a new video that documents the Saitama, Japan, native's journey to Canada, as well as his training with stick-handling extraordinaire/coach Pavel Barber, who is helping Aito get accustomed to playing against better talent in North America. Of course, with the video coming from GoPro, there's some awesome POV footage included that showcases the insane skills of both.
It's pretty clear Iguchi is ahead of the curve offensively; he can dangle and burn defenders like few others his age. It will be interesting to see how his skill set (and body) develops as he gets older and gets more experience with legitimate competition under his belt. No doubt he has NHL scouts monitoring him already but that kid is going to have a serious amount of eyes on him if he continues to dedicate himself to the game as he has.
Even if he remains undersized, Iguchi can draw inspiration from guys like Calgary Flames' Johnny Gaudreau, currently one of the NHL's brightest young stars despite doubts that the 5-foot-9 forward was too small to play at the highest level.
For those wondering, Iguchi will be NHL Draft eligible in 2021.
