Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Kotkaniemi in 2018
Born (2000-07-06) 6 July 2000
Pori, Finland
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 201 lb (91 kg; 14 st 5 lb)
Position Centre
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Carolina Hurricanes
Ässät
Montreal Canadiens
NHL Draft 3rd overall, 2018
Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 2017–present

Jesperi Kotkaniemi (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈjesperi ˈkotkɑnie̯mi]; born 6 July 2000) is a Finnish professional ice hockey center currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted third overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In October 2018, he became the first player born in the 2000s to play in one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, when he appeared on the Canadiens opening night roster.

Personal life

Kotkaniemi was raised in Pori, the son of Mikael and Kati Kotkaniemi. Mikael, a former professional hockey player and current coach, and native of Helsinki, settled in Pori after meeting Kati, a Pori area native, while he was playing for Ässät. Kotkaniemi has one brother, Kasperi, who is sixteen months his senior and plays as a goaltender. Because the two brothers were so close in age, Jesperi would play with players in Kasperi's age group (1999 born). Mikael took a job as an assistant coach in Ässät's under-20 team in 2006 (eventually working his way up to head coach of the men's team), which allowed Jesperi and Kasperi unlimited access to the club's facilities, so they spent most of their time on the ice as children.[1]

Upon being drafted by the Canadiens, Kotkaniemi began studying French.[1]

Playing career

Finland

Kotkaniemi began his youth career playing with hometown club, Porin Ässät, as a 14-year old at the under-16 level in 2014. Having progressed through the junior ranks and showing offensive potential, Kotkaniemi made his SM-liiga debut with Ässät to start the 2017–18 season, on 9 September 2017 where he scored his first professional goal.[2] As a 17-year old rookie, Kotkaniemi posted impressive offensive totals, collecting 10 goals and 29 points in 57 games.[3]

Montreal Canadiens

On 22 June 2018, having been touted amongst the top players by the NHL Central Scouting service, Kotkaniemi was drafted third overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens.[4] After attending the club's development camp, he was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract on 2 July 2018.[5]

On 3 October 2018, Kotkaniemi made his NHL debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs; he earned one assist in the loss. He thus became the first person born in the year 2000 to play in one of the Big Four professional sports leagues in North America.[6][7] Kotkaniemi scored his first and second NHL goals on 1 November 2018 against the Washington Capitals.[8] At 18 years, 118 days old, he became the second youngest goal scorer in Canadiens' history behind Mario Tremblay, who tallied his first goal at age 18 years, 75 days on 16 November 1974 against the New York Rangers at the Forum.[9] Kotkaniemi added a second goal in the third period of the same game, tying the score at 4–4 en route to a 6–4 Montreal victory,[8] and becoming the youngest player in NHL history not born in North America to score at least twice in one NHL game. He surpassed fellow Finn Patrik Laine, who, at 18 years, 183 days, recorded a hat trick for the Winnipeg Jets in a 5–4 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on 19 October 2016.[9] On 6 January 2019, during a game against the Nashville Predators, Kotkaniemi became the third Canadiens player to score 20 points before the age of 19.[10][11] A month later on 5 February, Kotkaniemi set a new Canadiens record by becoming the first player to score goals in three straight games before the age of 19.[12] He ultimately scored 34 points in 79 games in his rookie season.

After the season concluded, Kotkaniemi underwent knee surgery to repair a chronic minor injury.[13] He scored his first goal of the 2019–20 season in Montreal's season opener, a 4–3 shootout loss against the Carolina Hurricanes.[14] However, on 5 December 2019, he suffered a concussion in a game against the Colorado Avalanche, resulting in eight games lost.[15] Kotkaniemi was reassigned to the Laval Rocket, the Canadiens' AHL affiliate, on 1 February 2020.[16]

With the 2020–21 season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kotkaniemi was loaned to Ässät until the start of NHL training camp.[17]

Carolina Hurricanes

On 28 August 2021, Kotkaniemi signed a one-year, $6.1 million offer sheet with the Carolina Hurricanes. Seven days later, the Canadiens decided not to match the offer sheet, sending Kotkaniemi to Carolina with Montreal receiving their first and third-round picks in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft as compensation.[18] Kotkaniemi was the first NHL player to be successfully acquired via offer sheet since Dustin Penner in 2007.[19] The Kotkaniemi affair drew parallels to an offer sheet the Canadiens offered Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho two years prior. Kotkaniemi's contract with the Hurricanes included a $20 signing bonus, a reference to the number Aho wears with Carolina, and statements issued by Hurricanes management poked fun at the Canadiens by being verbatim of statements issues by Montreal management after offer sheeting Aho.[20]

On March 21, 2022, the Hurricanes and Kotkaniemi agreed to an eight-year, $38.5 million dollar extension, worth an annual value of $4.82 million. Kotkaniemi and Carolina had been rumored to be inking a lengthy contract worth less than his offer sheet agreement since the initial deal was signed.[21]

International play

Medal record
Representing  Finland
Ice hockey
World U18 Championships
Gold medal – first place2018 Russia
Silver medal – second place2017 Slovakia

Kotkaniemi made his junior international debut for Finland at the 2017 World U18 Championships in Slovakia, he amassed 6 points in 7 games to help claim a silver medal.

He returned for the following 2018 World U18 Championships in Russia, centering the top-line in recording 9 points in 7 tournament contests, helping Finland secure the gold medal over United States. He was also recognized as a top 3 on team Finland by the IIHF.[22]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2015–16 Ässät Jr. A 23 5 10 15 12 — — — — —
2016–17 Ässät Jr. A 17 9 6 15 18 7 4 1 5 0
2017–18 Ässät SM-l 57 10 19 29 20 7 0 1 1 6
2018–19 Montreal Canadiens NHL 79 11 23 34 26 — — — — —
2019–20 Montreal Canadiens NHL 36 6 2 8 23 10 4 0 4 23
2019–20 Laval Rocket AHL 13 1 12 13 16 — — — — —
2020–21 Ässät SM-l 10 2 6 8 8 — — — — —
2020–21 Montreal Canadiens NHL 56 5 15 20 12 19 5 3 8 14
2021–22 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 66 12 17 29 37 14 0 2 2 2
2022–23 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 82 18 25 43 50 15 3 4 7 8
Liiga totals 67 12 25 37 28 7 0 1 1 6
NHL totals 319 52 82 134 148 58 12 9 21 47

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2017 Finland U18 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 7 1 5 6 0
2017 Finland IH18 6th 4 2 2 4 6
2018 Finland U18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 3 6 9 37
Junior totals 18 6 13 19 43

References

  1. 1 2 Basu, Arpon. "A boy and his rink: Jesperi Kotkaniemi's childhood and how it prepared him for Montreal". The Athletic. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  2. ↑ "SM-liigan 17-vuotias superlupaus onnistui heti maalinteossa". yle.fi (in Finnish). 11 September 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  3. ↑ "Canadiens sign Jesperi Kotkaniemi to NHL entry-level contract". Montreal Gazette. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  4. ↑ Sadler, Emily (22 June 2018). "Canadiens select centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi with third-overall pick". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  5. ↑ "Canadiens agree to terms with Jesperi Kotkaniemi". Montreal Canadiens. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  6. ↑ Chidley-Hill, John (4 October 2018). "Habs rookie Jesperi Kotkaniemi makes NHL history". cbc.ca. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  7. ↑ Lehmola, Jussi; Palojärvi, Otto (4 October 2018). "Jesperi Kotkaniemi teki pohjoisamerikkalaista urheiluhistoriaa – pääsi myös pisteille". Uusi Suomi (in Finnish). Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Washington Capitals - Montreal Canadiens - November 1st, 2018". NHL.com. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  9. 1 2 NHL.com (2 November 2018). "Facts and figures: Canadiens strike fast to make history. Domi, Armia score two seconds apart; Kotkaniemi has first two NHL goals". Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  10. ↑ Hickey, Pat (7 January 2019). "Canadiens vs. Wild: Five things you should know". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  11. ↑ @PR_NHL (6 January 2019). "Jesperi Kotkaniemi became the third player in @CanadiensMTL history to record 20+ points before celebrating his 19th birthday, joining Mario Tremblay in 1974-75 (21-18—39 in 63 GP) and Petr Svoboda in 1984-85 (3-18—21 in 49 GP). #NHLStats" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. ↑ Braverman, Dan (5 February 2019). "ANA@MTL: Three for third". NHL.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  13. ↑ "Canadiens' Jesperi Kotkaniemi has knee surgery in Montreal". sportsnet.ca. 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  14. ↑ Cowan, Stu (3 October 2019). "Canadiens settle for one point in Carolina, falling 4-3 in a shootout". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  15. ↑ Teague, Matt (27 December 2019). "Habs' Kotkaniemi to return vs. Lightning following concussion". thescore.com. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  16. ↑ Cowan, Stu (1 February 2020). "Canadiens send Jesperi Kotkaniemi down to AHL's Laval Rocket". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  17. ↑ "Canadiens announce the loaning of Jesperi Kotkaniemi to HC Ässät Pori Oy". NHL.com. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  18. ↑ "Canadiens not matching offer sheet to Jesperi Kotkaniemi". 4 September 2021.
  19. ↑ "The winners and losers of the Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet saga". For The Win. 4 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  20. ↑ "Hurricanes GM insists Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet 'was not revenge' on Canadiens". New York Post. 5 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  21. ↑ "Why the Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet makes sense for the Hurricanes". Sportsnet. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  22. ↑ "Finland wins it all!". International Ice Hockey Federation. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
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