As a Barrie Colts rookie in 2022-23, Kashawn Aitcheson watched Brandt Clarke return from the NHL and a stint with the Los Angeles Kings to put up an impressive 23 goals and 61 points in just 31 OHL games.
The then 16-year-old looked up to Clarke and spent the second half of the season trying to soak up and learn as much as he could from the Kings’ first-round pick.
Minutes after Saturday’s 7-4 win over the Brantford Bulldogs and a game where the first of his two goals helped him pass his old teammate and friend to become the franchise’s all-time leading scorer among defencemen, Aitcheson was quick to praise Clarke for all he did for him that first year.
“I definitely passed a great player there in Clarkie,” said the four-year veteran, whose four-point night (2G, 2A) gives him a franchise record 162 points in 197 games, passing the 158-point record set by Clarke. “He was a key guy that really helped me become the player I am today. He really took me under his wing. I don’t have enough good things to say about him.
“I still keep in touch with him, and he still reaches out, which is good to see, and he’s having a phenomenal (NHL) career, so it definitely felt good.”
Aitcheson’s two goals also give him 26 on the season, equaling the single-season franchise record he set last season. He still has 11 games remaining to add to his record point and goal totals.
His big night also gave him 61 points on the season, moving him past Windsor’s Carson Woodall into the overall league scoring lead among defencemen,
“He came into the league, and he just wanted to be here,” said Colts’ head coach Dylan Smoskowitz of his record-setting blueliner. “He came in with a pretty stacked (defensive) core, and we didn’t have a lot of room for him as a 16-year-old, but instead of going to Tier II or a different league to get more minutes, he just wanted to be a Barrie Colt. He just wanted to be around his brothers. He wanted to be around his family.
“For him to be our new franchise all-time leader in points is so fitting. He’s everything the Barrie Colts stand for, and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
The New York Islanders’ top prospect was quick to credit his coaches and teammates, like Cole Beaudoin and Carter Lowe, who have been by his side for four seasons.
“I just want to show up to the rink with this family here,” said Aitcheson. “It’s the best group of guys that I’ve ever been a part of. They care so much.”
The defender says he has grown so much on and off the ice. He still finds it crazy how much has happened since arriving in Barrie.
From making the Colts, to being selected 17th overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, representing Canada at the World Junior Championship, and now to setting franchise records, it’s been a whirlwind.
“It’s definitely pretty surreal,” said the 19-year-old, who's a front-runner to be awarded the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s most outstanding defenceman. “It’s pretty crazy when you sit back and look at it. I think I’m always the guy that sets the bar pretty high for myself. So, once Clarkie set it, I was kind of always thinking about it in the back of my head, and talking about it with my girlfriend, family, and friends.
“For it to come true, and for this to happen, it’s obviously a crazy experience, and super surreal.”
