Watch: Wild draft pick has ‘Tom Brady moment’ with GM after he’s selected

Tom Brady’s exchange with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft following his selection in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft in which he told the then-59-year-old billionaire that he wouldn’t regret picking him is one of the best underdog success stories in modern sports.

The Minnesota Wild hope the same happens for 2024 fourth-round pick Aron Kiviharju, who had a “Brady moment” himself with team GM Bill Guerin on the draft floor after the team selected him with the 122nd overall pick in last week’s draft.

Unlike Brady, Kiviharju began his draft year as a potential top-five pick.

He was coming off a breakout 2022-23 season in which he scored two goals and 20 points in 22 games with U20 SM-sarja in the Finnish junior league, plus a three-goal, 19-point performance with the Finnish U18 team during international competition, showing top-four defenseman potential.

But a significant knee injury derailed his 2023 season, limiting him to just a handful of games as his draft stock took a serious hit.

If Kiviharju regains his pre-injury form, Guerin could look like a genius for getting the 18-year-old blueliner when he did. Many scouts believe Kiviharju could be a future first- or second-pairing defenseman.