"As we continue to look at ways to improve the depth of our organization, signing a defenceman with this type of skillset is an important move for our hockey club," said Allvin. "Akito is a strong skater and he has put up impressive numbers on both sides of the ice in the NCAA and BCHL. We feel that our coaches and development team will provide him with the help and support he needs to start his pro career off in the right way."
Hirose, 23, recently completed the third season of his college career with the Minnesota State University Mavericks, registering 27 points (4-23-27) and 18 penalty minutes in 38 games played. He established personal bests at the college level in goals and points, and ranked second among MSU defencemen in both assists and points.
The 6'0, 170-pound defenseman ranked second on the team in blocked shots (39) this season and shared the team-lead in plus-minus (+10) with two other skaters. Hirose was twice named the CCHA Defenceman of the Week (Oct. 17 and Jan. 23) this season and earned CCHA Defenceman of the Month honours in January, thanks in part to a career-high six-game point streak (3-5-8) from January 13-28.
Over the course of his college career, spent entirely with Minnesota State University, Hirose compiled 68 points (7-61-68), 40 penalty minutes, and a +56 rating in 104 games. During his 2020.21 freshman season, he was named the WCHA Rooke of the Year after leading his club in plus-minus (+18) and ranking first in points among MSU defencemen (1-14-15 in 28 GP).
Prior to beginning his collegiate career, the Calgary, Alberta native spent four seasons with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the BCHL, collecting 123 points (20-103-123) in 208 regular season games. He served as team captain in 2019.20, leading the league in scoring by defencemen (9-42-51 in 57 GP) and securing the BCHL Top Defenceman award as a First Team All-Star.
