Hits are not publicly tracked by the OHL, but given Aitcheson’s propensity for physicality, it’s a safe bet that he’d be among the league leaders. That trait was influenced by his uncle, Chris Aitcheson, who played in the Ontario Junior Hockey League from 2010-13 and went on to play D3 hockey at Becker College. From a young age, his uncle’s game became the blueprint for Aitcheson.
“I really looked up to my uncle,” Aitcheson said. “I watched him through my whole childhood, and he played that really mean nasty game where you throw some big hits and get under people’s skin, but also kind of produce on the scoresheet.”
Chris gave a detailed explanation to the then-eight-year-old Aitcheson on how to lay a good hit, which he’s putting to good use to this day.
“He taught me a couple tricks and little hints on how to get under guy’s skin,” Aitcheson said. “Explaining where to hit on a guy where they don’t have much padding to really make them feel it, stuff like that.”
Physicality has always been at the core of Aitcheson’s game. Going back to his first full season in the OHL, he racked up 126 penalty minutes in 2023-24, which ranked third in the league and was two minutes shy of tying first. The PIMs have gone down since then, but the rest of his game has steadily developed throughout his time in the OHL.
“Growing up, I was always that physical guy that would run around,” Aitcheson said. “Over the years, I’ve been really working on my skill, my shot, and then, doing a lot of video, to learn some situational stuff. I’ve been working on all aspects, and I’ve been getting better.”