Heart, Ambition Supersede Smaller Stature for LA Kings Prospect Kim Nousiainen

(Photo courtesy of KalPa.fi)

As time goes on, certain feats in hockey have become scarce.

Once upon a time, for instance, 50-goal scorers were commonplace. These days, it’s a rare treat. Another infrequent occurrence that was more common a minute ago are players under 20 playing in men’s leagues. One of the exceptions to this, however, is Finnish defenseman, and Los Angeles Kings prospect, Kim Nousiainen.

Drafted in the fourth round (119th overall) in 2019, Nousiainen has made tremendous strides since being selected by the Kings. One of the blueliner’s biggest accomplishments thus far, though, has been assimilating himself with life in the SM-liiga (the Finnish Elite League) — and doing so successfully, to boot.

I recently caught up with Kings development coach Sean O’Donnell as well as another former King, Marko Tuomainen, who is the assistant coach for Nousiainen’s current team, KalPa Kuopio.

World Junior Boost

After scoring 28 points in 32 regular-season games — in addition to seven goals in seven playoff games — for KalPa of the Jr. A SM-Liiga, Nousiainen was promoted to the senior league near season’s end. This past season, though, was a test for the Kuopio native to make his mark on his hometown’s senior team.

What helped the 19-year-old most this past season, though, wasn’t so much as getting used to playing in the senior league but the experience of representing his country for hockey’s biggest international showcase of junior talent.

“As the year went on, he represented Finland at the World Junior Championship and we’re very happy for him for that,” O’Donnell said. “But when he got back, his ice time increased considerably to the point where he was playing mid-20, maybe high-20 minutes per night in the men’s league there in Finland. It’s not easy for a 19-year-old to do that, so we’re very happy with Kim’s progression.”

“Especially later in the season after he came back from the World Juniors, he was pretty much our best defenseman,” Tuomainen added. “He played a lot and was leading our team’s defensemen in ice time from after Christmas until towards the end of the year. So, he took a really big step for us in his first full season against the men.”

While they did enjoy a solid tournament, Nousiainen and the Finns narrowly missed the podium at the World Juniors after getting edged by rival Sweden in the bronze-medal game.

The disappointing finish, however, did not slow the Kings prospect down.

While his six goals and 13 assists in 51 games may not indicate dominance on paper, Nousiainen had nonetheless made an auspicious first impression in the senior league, establishing himself as, among other assets, a smooth, mobile skater.

The Size of the Fight in the Dog

Having selected Nousiainen in 2019, some may suggest that the Los Angeles Kings made a risky choice considering the youngster’s size, or lack thereof.

Standing at a diminutive 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, critics may be quick to dismiss Nousiainen in this regard. Of course, while Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman and Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin are current proof that bigger blueliners are successful in the NHL, defensemen under six feet are far from afterthoughts.

From Colorado’s Cale Makar to Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes, smaller defensemen are fitting in very well themselves in today’s NHL. So, while a towering, intimidating presence on the back-end is certainly beneficial, the same can be said for a blueliner’s ability to move the puck, one of the many skills possessed by Nousiainen.

Even O’Donnell, who fit the former category with his 6-foot-2, 230-pound-plus frame, was quick to admit how invaluable Nousiainen is as a smaller defenseman.

“Strength and getting the most out of his frame [are assets] but his determination, his hockey sense and his skating are the assets that he uses well and that is what is going to give him the best shot to play in the NHL,” the Kings’ development coach observed.

Still, the Kings prospect hasn’t been shy about literally throwing his weight around. Marko Tuomainen — 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds during his playing career — has attested to this.

“Especially physically, he took a big step but his all-around game got better as the season went on,” Tuomainen noted. “He really got stronger physically over the last six months.”

While it may be important to a degree, size is secondary in comparison to one certain asset.

“He might not be the biggest guy in stature but the size of his heart cannot be measured because he will go through a wall if that’s what it takes to get the job done,” beamed O’Donnell. “He’s just a real, real fun guy to work with.”

Growing Accustomed to One’s Surroundings

While the season may have been cut short due to the pandemic, Nousiainen made the most of his opportunity to make a good first impression.

“He’s a young kid obviously and really took a big step in playing against more physical guys coming out of junior,” Tuomainen said.

While his agility and determination are certainly noteworthy, Nousiainen’s hockey IQ has helped him progress further than he may have even anticipated himself. Nevertheless, the 19-year-old’s understanding of the game and awareness of what’s around him have certainly paid dividends in helping his transition to the senior league a smooth one. 

“Especially late in the season, he was really our strongest defenseman and knowing the league as a rookie coming in, he really got used to the league and got more of a role in the team on the power play playing a lot of minutes there,” Toumainen continued. “Even in the penalty killing, he was doing that near the end of the season.

“His defensive game got a lot better, too, as the season went on. So, he was pretty much our best all-around defenseman by the end of the season.”

What to Look Forward to

While there may be uncertainty as to when the 2020-21 SM-Liiga season will kick off, Kim Nousiainen is all but certain to return to KalPa Kuopio for his sophomore campaign. After all, another feat that is more rare these days is a player making it to the NHL at 19. Unlike his transition to the men’s league, though, Nousianen is not an exception to this.

But that’s okay.

While there are a few areas Nousiainen needs to improve on moving forward, the KalPa Kuopio assistant is confident that his young blueliner will get there much sooner than later.

“He could be more consistent,” Tuomainen began. “As a young kid, he’s had some games where he was off a bit but I think this season, he knows that every night, he has to be accountable and I’m really confident that he will be.”

As far as what his defenseman already brings to the table, Tuomainen couldn’t help but express his excitement.

“I don’t think his defensive game has to improve a lot,” the one-time King continued. “He’s really good offensively joining the attack, supporting the offense. His overall game is there, maybe his mental strength will be a point of improvement, but I’m really sure that this coming season, he’ll be a consistent contributor for us all year.”

On Wednesday, the seven non-playoff teams, which includes the Kings, had submitted a collaborative proposal to the NHL requesting extended training camps for their respective teams prior to the start of the 2020-21 season. If the clubs have their request approved by the league, that will mean more time for Kim Nousiainen to get accustomed to the Kings first-hand and vice-versa. Regardless, Nousiainen, who turns 20 in November, will have a great opportunity to showcase his talents at Kings camp, especially after a year of expeditious growth.

“He may be a smaller defenseman but he’s very, very determined and he competes, he competes, he competes,” emphasized Sean O’Donnell.

If Kings fans are hoping for a large, ominous presence on their team’s backend, they may need to look elsewhere. If, however, they are looking for an intelligent, puck-moving blueliner who can log big minutes with an unmatched level of tenacity to boot, then they do not need to look any further than Kim Nousiainen — a sound investment for the future of the Kings’ defensive corps.

 

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