Split Loyalty: Evanston Goalie Aston Roitto Savors Ties To Sweden, Finland

By Ross Forman
Aston Roitto brings an international love for hockey to the ice as he prepares for his junior season in the fall, his second in goal on the Evanston Township High School varsity team.

Roitto, 16, saw action in 26 games this past season, starting 25 of them. He allowed 55 goals on 606 shots and had two shutouts.

“I lean more towards a butterfly (style) goalie, but I consider myself a more hybrid goalie because I try not to go down when I don’t have to,” said Roitto, who notched a 3-0 road win over New Trier Blue in January – a personal highlight.

And, last February, Roitto and the Wildkits defeated Notre Dame 3-1, one of his favorite games of the season. “We were down 1-0 for most of the game, then with five minutes left, we scored. Then three minutes later, we score another goal to go up 2-1. Not only did we win 3-1, but I had an amazing game, allowing only one goal on 35 shots, giving me a 0.971 save percentage,” he said.

Roitto, in jersey No. 50, won defensive player of the year for his team as a freshman. As a first-year varsity player, he was named to the all-star team and won the goalie MVP. 

Roitto started playing hockey for Göta Traneberg, a team in Stockholm, Sweden. 

Locally, he has played for Evanston and Skokie

“One of my favorite moments of my career was winning my NIHL league (championship). We went to double overtime in the championship, and it was super hype when we scored,” he said.

“This (upcoming) season’s goal as a team is to make a push and win that league championship. Everyone on the team feels like it is our year. I think other teams should expect us to start the season explosively.

“My motivation when I step into the rink is definitely to make my parents proud.”

But the family hockey focus was split this past February. His mom was cheering for Finland in the Winter Olympics; his dad was pulling for Sweden. The international rivalry, “makes the Olympics more fun to watch for me because I can cheer for both teams because technically, they are both my home country, so, whenever one of them wins gold, I am happy,” he said. 

Roitto grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, until he moved to America in 2019. “Living in Sweden was fun, except in the winter when we would get five hours of sunlight. All my family still lives in Sweden and Finland, so we visit every summer for about a month-plus. My family owns a house in Sweden. 

“When it comes to hockey, I always cheer for Sweden, even though I am Finnish, too. I grew up in Sweden, so of course I’m going to cheer for my favorite sports home team. When it comes to other sports, I cheer for them equally, but when it’s hockey, the family gets competitive.”

Roitto’s mom was a figure skater when she was growing up: “I think that’s what led me to start skating and later start playing hockey,” he said. His dad did not play hockey growing up, but started playing after they moved to the U.S.

“My favorite player growing up was definitely Henrik Lundqvist. I wanted to play goalie was because of him,” he said. “Some of my favorite players now are Arvid Söderblom, who is the backup goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks; and Anton Frondell, who was drafted in 2025 by the Blackhawks and played a few games at the end of the season. Another favorite is Ivar Stenberg; I was begging that the Blackhawks were going to win the lottery and be able to get him.”

Roitto played JV lacrosse and golf for Evanston.

“My competitive level is high compared to other players. I’ve heard before that when a team is playing a team better than them, they automatically go and say we are going to lose. I like to go into every game as if it’s a game and nothing more; I don’t focus on how good the other team is. I focus on myself and my team,” he said. “My joy (as a goalie) comes from making a perfect glove save or robbing someone; it just gives me this feeling that I found my safe place.”

Stopping Slapshots With … Evanston Township High School Goalie Aston Roitto 

One Moment: “Senior Night (game) and having all of the students cheering for me.” 
Off Ice: “I love to hang out with my friends and go to the gym. One of my favorite things in the gym is the sauna. I always get stereotyped as a sauna king because I’m Finnish.”
It Helps: “Definitely the gym, which helps me build cardio and strength in my legs that I need for hockey.”
Superstitions on the Ice: “When going to my net, I always spray some water over it.”
Long-term Career Goals: “I want to finish my high school years as strong as I can, hopefully win state. After high school, I want to play college hockey.”
Favorite NHL Team: Chicago Blackhawks 
Favorite NHL Player: Arvid Söderblom
Favorite Sports-themed Movie: Miracle on Ice 
Favorite TV Show: Stick 
Motivational Song: “Any song by Kettama.” 
Favorite Pre-game Meal: Caesar salad with chicken 
Favorite app: Instagram 
Favorite High School Uniform (other than Evanston): Loyola Maroon