Aitcheson is a hard-nosed, two-way defenseman with good size and skating ability. He thrives as an agitator and seems to enjoy getting under the skin of his opponents. Aitcheson plays a very responsible defensive game and appears to be rounding out his play with more involvement in the offense. He put the puck on net frequently in this viewing and was rewarded for his efforts. His willingness to throw hits, block shots, and sacrifice his body to make plays is evident. He maintains strong body positioning to keep attackers to the outside and control space in his own end. Another element of his game that stands out is his motor; he seems able to log significant minutes in all situations and keeps up with the pace of play. I’d like to see Aitcheson work on his ability to bait opposing players into taking penalties against him, as he can sometimes be a little overzealous and put his team on the penalty kill. He’s an important player for Barrie, and if he can maintain his physicality while remaining disciplined, he will become even more effective as he develops. His game is trending in the right direction, and he projects to evolve into a reliable bottom-pairing, shutdown defenseman at the NHL level. It seems reasonable to suggest that he will be selected in the mid to later stages of the first round of the 2025 draft.