Miro Heiskanen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Miro Heiskanen
Heiskanen in 2017
Born	(1999-07-18) 18 July 1999 (age 24) Espoo, Finland
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Dallas Stars HIFK
National team	Finland
NHL Draft	3rd overall, 2017 Dallas Stars
Playing career	2016–present

Miro Heiskanen (born 18 July 1999) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). Ranked in the top ten eligible European skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, Heiskanen was picked third overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Stars.

Playing career

HIFK (2014–2017)

Heiskanen with HIFK in 2017.

Heiskanen played hockey until the age of 14 in the youth program of the Finnish Liiga club Espoo Blues. Later, Heiskanen played within the youth program of HIFK. In playing at the Junior A level during the 2015–16 season, he recorded 14 points in 30 games to be awarded with the Yrjö Hakala Award as rookie of the year. On 30 May 2016, he signed a three-year contract extension with the HIFK organization.

During the 2016–17 Liiga season, at age 17, Heiskanen made his professional debut with HIFK in the Liiga. In playing the full season in the Liiga, he played on HIFK's top defensive pairing, scoring 5 goals and 10 points in 37 games. HIFK head coach Antti Törmänen described him as his team's best defenceman that season, praising his ability to always make the right decisions. By the end of the season, Heiskanen was considered a top prospect at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, with Göran Stubb of the NHL Central Scouting Bureau describing him as "by far the best European defenceman in the draft". Heiskanen was ultimately selected third overall by the Dallas Stars.

On 8 July 2017, Heiskanen signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Stars. Heiskanen spent the 2017–18 Liiga season on loan with HIFK.

Dallas Stars (2018–present)

Heiskanen was named to the Stars' roster to start the 2018–19 NHL season and made his debut on 4 October in a 3–0 win over the Arizona Coyotes. On 25 October, in a 5–2 Stars win over the Anaheim Ducks, Heiskanen scored his first career NHL goal, beating goaltender John Gibson off a pass from Jason Spezza. In so doing, at 19 years and 99 days, Heiskanen became the second-youngest Stars defenceman to score a goal in the franchise's history. On 2 January 2019, Heiskanen was named the Stars' lone representative at the 2019 NHL All-Star Game, becoming the second rookie in the Stars/North Stars franchise history to be named to the All-Star Game. At the time of his selection, he was tied for seventh in the league among rookies and second among rookie defencemen with 17 points. After the Stars qualified for the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, Heiskanen became the third defencemen under the age of 20 to score two goals in a playoff game.

Heiskanen being checked by Yanni Gourde during a game in 2023.

On 30 August 2020, in Game 4 of the Stars' second round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche, Heiskanen would set the Stars' playoff record for points by a defenceman with 16. In reaching the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Heiskanen ended the playoff campaign with 26 points in 27 games, the fourth most by any defenceman during a playoff year in league history, behind only Paul Coffey in 1985, Brian Leetch in 1994 and Al MacInnis in 1989. The Stars would ultimately lose to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.

On 17 July 2021, Heiskanen signed an eight-year, $67.6 million contract with the Stars.

In the 2022–23 season, Heiskanen broke the record for most points in a season by a Stars defenceman, recording 11 goals and 62 assists for 73 points. The record was previously held by Sergei Zubov. His 73 points also tied former New York Rangers defenceman Reijo Ruotsalainen's record for most points in an NHL season by a Finnish-born defenceman.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Medal record
Representing  Finland
Ice hockey
IIHF World Championship
Gold	2022 Finland
IIHF World U18 Championship
Gold	2016 United States
Silver	2017 Slovakia

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2015	Finland	U17	5th		5	0	4	4	2
2016	Finland	U18	1		7	0	1	1	0
2017	Finland	U18	2		7	2	10	12	0
2017	Finland	WJC	9th		6	0	1	1	0
2018	Finland	WJC	6th		5	0	2	2	0
2018	Finland	OG	6th		5	1	0	1	2
2018	Finland	WC	5th		8	0	2	2	0
2022	Finland	WC	1		6	1	6	7	2
Junior totals					30	2	18	20	2
Senior totals					19	2	8	10	4

Awards and honours

Heiskanen was selected third overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.