Akito Hirose

Akito Hirose (born April 9, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played college ice hockey at Minnesota State.
==Playing career==
===Junior===
On September 7, 2019, Hirose was named captain of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks fpr the 2019–20 season. During his senior season with the Arm Silverbacks, he recorded nine goals and 42 assists in 57 games. He led the league in defenceman scoring, and ranked third among all BCHL players with 42 assists. Following the season he was awarded the BCHL Defensive Player of the Year award.
He finished his career with 20 goals and 103 assists in 208 regular season games. On September 11, 2018, Hirose committed to play for Minnesota State.
===College===
Hirose began his collegiate career for the Minnesota State during the 2020–21 season. During his freshman year he recorded one goal and 14 assists in 28 games, ranking tied for second in the country among all freshmen defenceman. Following the season he was named to the All-WCHA Rookie Team and All-WCHA Third Team and was named the WCHA Rookie of the Year.
During the 2021–22 season, in his sophomore year he recorded two goals and 24 assists in 38 games. During the months of March and April, he recorded five points in eight games to average .625 points per game. He was subsequently named the CCHA Defenseman of the Month. He helped the Mavericks win the 2022 CCHA men's ice hockey tournament, their first CCHA tournament championship in program history, and received an automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament. During the NCAA tournament, the Mavericks advanced to their first championship game in program history, where they lost to Denver 1–5.
During the 2022–23 season, in his junior year he recorded four goals and 23 assists in 38 games. Following the season he was named to the All-CCHA Second Team. He finished his career at Minnesota State with seven goals, 61 assists, and a plus-53 rating in 104 games. During his time with the Mavericks, the team went 85–24–2, won three MacNaughton Cups, two Mason Cups, qualified for three NCAA tournaments, two Frozen Fours, and advanced to the national championship game once.
===Professional===
On March 29, 2023, Hirose signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks. He made his NHL debut on April 2, in a game against the Los Angeles Kings.
==Personal life==
Hirose's brother, Taro is also a professional ice hockey player for the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2016–17 	Salmon Arm Silverbacks	BCHL 		44 	2 	8 	10 	18 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	Salmon Arm Silverbacks	BCHL 		55 	5 	27 	32 	24 		4 	0 	0 	0 	4
2018–19 	Salmon Arm Silverbacks	BCHL 		52 	4 	26 	30 	17 		5 	0 	4 	4 	0
2019–20 	Salmon Arm Silverbacks	BCHL 		57 	9 	42 	51 	18 		4 	0 	3 	3 	0
2020–21 	Minnesota State 	WCHA 		28 	1 	14 	15 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2021–22 	Minnesota State 	CCHA 		38 	2 	24 	26 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2022–23 	Minnesota State 	CCHA 		38 	4 	23 	27 	18 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2022–23 	Vancouver Canucks 	NHL 		7 	0 	3 	3 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		7 	0 	3 	3 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Awards and honours==
Honors 	Year 	
College 	College	College
All-WCHA Rookie Team 	2021 	
All-WCHA Third Team 	2021 	
WCHA Rookie of the Year	2021 	
All-CCHA Second Team 	2023 	
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Category:Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey players
Category:Salmon Arm Silverbacks players
Category:Undrafted National Hockey League players
Category:Vancouver Canucks players