Miro Heiskanen (born 18 July 1999) is a Finnish professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
defenceman
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the l ...
and
alternate captain
In ice hockey, the captain is the player designated by a team as the only person authorized to speak with the game officials regarding rule interpretations when the captain is on the ice. At most levels of play each team must designate one captai ...
for the
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. The Stars compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The Stars ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL). Ranked in the top ten eligible European skaters by the
NHL Central Scouting Bureau
The NHL Central Scouting Services (CSS) is a department within the National Hockey League (NHL) that ranks prospects for the NHL entry draft at specific times during the hockey season. Players are ranked based on how well they will translate t ...
, Heiskanen was picked third overall in the
2017 NHL entry draft by the Stars.
Playing career
HIFK (2014–2017)

Heiskanen played hockey until the age of 14 in the youth program of the Finnish
Liiga
The Liiga, colloquially called the Finnish Elite League in English or FM-ligan in Swedish, is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. The league comprises 16 teams from all around Finland with relegation and promotion between the Mesti ...
club
Espoo Blues
Kiekko-Espoo is a Finnish professional ice hockey club founded in 2018 as a continuation of the Kiekko-Espoo team originally founded in 1984. Kiekko-Espoo men's team plays in the Liiga, where they were promoted for the 2024–25 Liiga season, 20 ...
. Later, Heiskanen played within the youth program of
HIFK
HIFK, the Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna, Helsingfors (IFK, Helsingfors) rf (officially abbreviated IFK Helsingfors, colloquially often Helsingfors IFK or Helsingin IFK) is a multi-sport association based in Helsinki, Finland. Formed in 1897 on ...
. 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
The 2016–17 SM-liiga season was the 42nd season of the SM-liiga, the top level of ice hockey in Finland, since the league's formation in 1975.
Teams
Regular season
The top six teams advance directly to the quarter-finals, while teams placin ...
, 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
Antti Ilari Törmänen (born September 19, 1970) is a retired professional ice hockey player and current head coach of EHC Biel in Switzerland's National League. He played for the Ottawa Senators, Jokerit, HV71 and Södertälje SK over 14 se ...
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
The NHL Central Scouting Services (CSS) is a department within the National Hockey League (NHL) that ranks prospects for the NHL entry draft at specific times during the hockey season. Players are ranked based on how well they will translate t ...
describing him as "by far the best European defenceman in the draft". Heiskanen was ultimately selected third overall by the
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. The Stars compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The Stars ...
.
On 8 July 2017, Heiskanen signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Stars. Heiskanen spent the
2017–18 Liiga season
The 2017–18 SM-liiga season was the 43rd season of the SM-liiga (branded simply as "Liiga"), the top level of ice hockey in Finland, since the league's formation in 1975. Tappara was the season as a defending champion. This season included a reco ...
on loan with HIFK.
Dallas Stars (2018–present)
Heiskanen was named to the Stars' roster to start the
2018–19 NHL season
The 2018–19 NHL season was the 102nd season of operation (101st season of play) of the National Hockey League. 31 teams competed in an 82-game regular season. The regular season began on October 3, 2018, and ended on April 6, 2019. The 2019 S ...
and made his debut on 4 October in a 3–0 win over the
Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...
. On 25 October, in a 5–2 Stars win over the
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confere ...
, Heiskanen scored his first career NHL goal, beating goaltender
John Gibson off a pass from
Jason Spezza
Jason Rocco Anthony Spezza (born June 13, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre and current assistant general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. Spezza played 19 career seas ...
. 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
The 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2018–19 season. The playoffs began on April 10, 2019, after the regular season, and they concluded on June 12, 2019, with the St. Louis Blu ...
, Heiskanen became the third defencemen under the age of 20 to score two goals in a playoff game.

On 30 August 2020, in Game 4 of the Stars'
second round playoff series against the
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...
, Heiskanen would set the Stars' playoff record for points by a defenceman with 16. In reaching the
2020 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2020 Stanley Cup Finals was the Stanley Cup Finals, championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2019–20 NHL season, 2019–20 season and the culmination of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. This series was between the Eastern C ...
, 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
Paul Patrick Coffey (born June 1, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played for nine teams over 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time ...
in
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
,
Brian Leetch
Brian Joseph Leetch (born March 3, 1968) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 18 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons with the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins. He has been called one of the ...
in
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
and
Al MacInnis
Allan MacInnis (born July 11, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames (1981–1994) and St. Louis Blues (1994–2004). A first round selection ...
in
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
. The Stars would ultimately lose to the
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...
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
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
defenceman
Reijo Ruotsalainen
Reijo Ruotsalainen (born April 1, 1960) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was twice named Finland's top defenceman, and won two Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, in 1987 and 1990.
Playing career
Ruotsalainen started ...
's record for most points in an NHL season by a Finnish-born defenceman.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honours
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heiskanen, Miro
1999 births
Living people
Dallas Stars draft picks
Dallas Stars players
Finnish expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
Finnish ice hockey defencemen
21st-century Finnish sportsmen
HIFK sportspeople
Ice hockey people from Espoo
Ice hockey players at the 2018 Winter Olympics
NHL first-round draft picks
Olympic ice hockey players for Finland
4 Nations Face-Off players