Aku Koskenvuo has played hockey in three different leagues this season without knowing where he might land next week. The Vancouver Canucks goaltending prospect has bounced between the NHL, AHL and ECHL throughout his first professional campaign as organizational injury issues forced constant roster shuffling.
The 2021 fifth-round pick last appeared in a game on January 30 with the Abbotsford Canucks, recording his first professional shutout. Since then, he has been in the NHL for Olympic break practices before he got reassigned to the Kalamazoo Wings. But despite this, his goal remains clear.
Aku Koskenvuo remains eager to make his mark with the Canucks.
Thatcher Demko’s early November injury triggered a goaltending domino effect throughout the organization. Nearly every netminder got called up to different levels, including Koskenvuo making his AHL debut during Abbotsford’s 11-game losing streak.
The team had yet to win at home when Koskenvuo arrived. His strong mindset helped snap both streaks as Abbotsford finally collected that elusive first home victory. Koskenvuo told The Hockey News his approach to the constant uncertainty.
He said, “Obviously the organization has been pretty unlucky with the number of injuries, so I’ve been moving around a lot. You don’t know where you’re going to be the next week, but you’ve just kind of got to embrace it and be a goalie whose game moves.”
The prospect continued, “I guess, and just try your best wherever you are, and focus on the controllables. As long as you’ve got some sheet of ice under you, you can do your thing.”
Vancouver brought Koskenvuo up to practice with the Canucks during the Olympic break. The assignment lasted less than a week, but the young goaltender valued every moment working with NHL players and coaches.
He said about the experience, “I think it’s been exciting. It’s been fun out there to have the opportunity to practice with these guys, be around these coaches, and be around Marco [Torenius].
It’s been a lot of fun and I’m really grateful for this opportunity. “
Koskenvuo has spent significant time with Jiří Patera in Abbotsford. The veteran goaltender’s experience across multiple leagues provides valuable lessons for the prospect.
He explained, “First of all, I think Jiří is a great human being. I just love being around him off the rink too. Just such a great guy. Obviously he’s seen a lot, so I try, I look up to him and see what he does on and off the ice, and how he kind of handles himself when either he has success or some sort of adversity, and try to learn from him how to be a professional and how to grow as a person, and also how to grow as a goaltender.”
Koskenvuo maintains his mental edge by controlling what he can. He said his focus remains on playing every puck as if the score sits 0-0, staying present rather than worrying about external goals or results.
The approach helps him navigate professional hockey’s uncertainty. Vancouver sits last in the NHL standings heading into the final 25 games, but Koskenvuo continues stacking good days wherever the organization needs him next.
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