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VANCOUVER — Aku Koskenvuo played only 17 games as a sophomore at Harvard University last season, so it might be hard to envision the 21-year-old goalie playing a significant role in the Vancouver Canucks crease anytime soon.

However, due to recent history and similarities in strength and style to another Canucks goaltending prospect, it should not be dismissed.

It would have been difficult two years ago to predict that Arturs Silovs, who split 20 games between the American Hockey League and ECHL as a 21-year-old, would become Vancouver’s starting goalie for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Silovs and Koskenvuo share many similarities in terms of size, athleticism, speed, and power,” said Marko Torenius, the goaltending development coach for the Canucks. “There are many things they have in common.”

Those similarities encompass receiving minimal playing time at the age of 21.

Koskenvuo only played two games as a freshman at Harvard in the 2022-23 season. However, he shared starting positions with senior Derek Mullahy in the following season, recording a 5-6-4 with a 2.95 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage, and two shutouts. His performance suggests that he is on track to become Harvard’s No. 1 goalie this season.

“Torenius emphasized the significance of the upcoming season for him, stating, “He’s somewhat under the radar, but with a bit more game experience, I believe he will also develop confidence, and his true character will begin to emerge.”

In the 2021 NHL Draft, Vancouver picked Koskenvuo in the fifth round (No. 137), making him the second goalie selected by the Canucks after Silovs, who was chosen in the sixth round (No. 156) of the 2019 NHL Draft. This occurred after Ian Clark returned to the team as a goalie coach, and subsequently director of goaltending, following seven seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets. During Clark’s time in Columbus, six out of the seven goalies drafted have played at least one NHL game. Furthermore, Koskenvuo showcases several of the seven key skills that Clark seeks in goaltenders.

“Clark stated, “He consistently scores a perfect 10 on some of them. He has the ideal size of 6-foot-4 and the perfect physique for the goaltending position. Additionally, he possesses the athleticism and competitive spirit that I’m always in search of.”

Koskenvuo has been striving to amalgamate all these elements in a more disciplined way by understanding the Canucks system for their goaltenders.

Koskenvuo explained his approach to the game, “I handle most situations in a consistent way to make the game more systematic and minimize performance fluctuations. The speed at which your head turns, the direction of your eyes, the position of your blades on the post – these are minor aspects, but they’re critical in constructing the big picture. I believe this attention to detail has significantly improved my game.”

NCAA rules prevent Torenius from going on the ice with Koskenvuo during the season, but he still flew to Boston once, and they talk every few weeks, reviewing his games on video and sending clips of Canucks No. 1 Thatcher Demko.

“Torenius commented, “He’s beginning to grasp that less is more. He can rely on his physical abilities and maintain a more compact form. There’s no need for him to be everywhere. He’s akin to one of those untamed horses we have, and it’s a considerable journey to bring such individuals into balance.”

Koskenvuo said that he has learned a lot from watching videos of Demko, a process that Demko himself went through too.

“I attempted to grasp the basic principles of Demko’s game and examine how I could incorporate them into my own game, and it has been beneficial so far,” stated Koskenvuo. “I appreciate the simplicity of his game, his systematic approach, and his control. However, when necessary, he can deviate from that and make significant saves.”