Sandin Pellikka proving he picked right sport ahead of 2023 NHL Draft
Defenseman prospect shifted from cross-country skiing to hockey after present from grandfather
Axel Sandin Pellikka can thank his grandfather for providing just the incentive needed to put an end to his time as a cross-country skier and begin a more fortuitous career as a standout hockey player.
"No one in my family played hockey but my father used to do cross-country skiing, so that was the sport I started with," Sandin Pellikka said. "I was cross country skiing until I was 6-years-old, and then one Christmas my grandfather (Marten) gave me a beginner hockey set that had equipment from Bauer.
"After that, I just went to the rink and skated and told my father that I wanted to quit cross-country skiing."
His father, Janne, didn't mind the switch.
"When I gave him the news, my dad was, 'All right, cool,'" Sandin Pellikka said. "He then had to learn some hockey and now he's always helping me, pushing me. He helped with my training too."
The 17-year-old right-shot defenseman (5-foot-11, 176 pounds) has shown hockey was the right sport to choose. He's No. 3 on
NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of International skaters presented by BioSteel
and has five points (two goals, three assists) while averaging 8:40 of ice time in 20 games for Skelleftea of the Swedish Hockey League, the top professional men's league in Sweden.
"I feel I'm just a smart player and I think I'm a threat in the offensive zone too," he said. "I like to watch Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche) and Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks), but I've heard my comparable would probably be Nils Lundqvist with the Dallas Stars."
Sandin Pellikka was a standout at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. He had one assist in seven games but averaged a team-best 19:54 of ice time.
"My coaches back home keep reminding me, and I also want to get stronger in the defensive zone," he said. "That's a part of my game that I've gotten really good. In the beginning of the season I barely had no defense at all, but now I've gotten a little more strength and I can position myself very well, so that's one area I'm working on."
© IIHF
Skelleftea defense coach Pierre Johnson has had plenty of time to work with Sandin Pellikka and said he has shown a big improvement since the start of the season. Johnson also was an assistant coach for Sweden at the 2023 WJC.
"I have a philosophy regarding defensemen: you need to play a good defensive game before you can play it offensively," Johnson said. "We need to rely on Axel in our own zone before we can play him a lot of minutes. After every practice we do 1-on-1 drills in the corners. But of course we do practice a lot on his offensive side too.
"Offensively I think we all can see that he's smooth at the blue line and has good stick abilities. So he's really developing each day."
On Jan. 14, Sandin Pellikka signed a contract extension with Skelleftea through the 2024-25 season.
"Axel has come in and done fantastically well both here with us and with the junior team," Skelleftea general manager Erik Forssell said in a statement. "He's made huge strides this past year and his puck handling really stands out, which we like. We think we will have great years here together."
Sandin Pellikka is fully focused on hockey now, but he still has found his way back to the ski course.
"I actually did return to skiing when I was around 12 years old," he said. "I did one competition and I won with like a minute to spare. I know it's in the genes."
PROSPECTS ON THE RADAR (listed alphabetically):
William Whitelaw (5-9, 173), RW, Youngstown (USHL): Whitelaw, No. 55 on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters presented by BioSteel, has eight goals during a five-game goal streak. He had his first United States Hockey League hat trick in a 6-2 win against Chicago on Jan. 28 and has 35 points (20 goals, 15 assists), nine power-play goals and two shorthanded goals in 35 games this season. Whitelaw, committed to play at the University of Wisconsin next season, participated in the 2023 BioSteel All-American Game on Jan. 16.
"He's really quick and has very good puck skills and offensive instincts," said Pat Cullen of NHL Central Scouting. "He's a competitor, wants the puck on his stick and plays a relentless style of game where he seems to always be around the puck."
Oliver Bonk (6-2, 180), D, London (OHL):The 18-year-old right-handed shot, No. 18 on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters, is second among London defensemen with 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists) and is second on the team with 10 power-play assists in 43 games as an OHL rookie.
Bonk relished the opportunity to shadow center Connor Bedard, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, at the 2023 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Jan. 25. Bedard had no points on six shots on goal.
"He's an excellent modern day two-way defenseman," said Dan Marr, vice president of NHL Central Scouting. "He has high hockey IQ, is a threat on the rush from the back end and is a very good puck mover who can break out and transition the puck quickly."
Jacob Fowler (6-1, 212), G, Youngstown (USHL): The 18-year-old is No. 7 on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American goalies. He was named USHL goalie of the week after going 2-0-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .941 save percentage in back-to-back wins against Chicago on Jan. 27-28. It marked the fourth time this season he was named league's goalie of the week. Fowler, who is committed to play at Boston College next season, is 13-6-4 with a 2.63 GAA, .914 save percentage and four shutouts in 23 games this season. He allowed one goal on 13 shots in 30:34 of ice time in the All-American Game.
"He's been very consistent in his play, very reliable and strong positionally," said Al Jensen of NHL Central Scouting. "He always seems to be in the proper position, is very smart with good reads and instincts. Jacob has well-balanced and controlled crease movements and good reaction and recovery quickness."
Photos: IIHF; Sandin Pellikka family
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