Jesperi Kotkaniemi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jesperi Kotkaniemi |
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Kotkaniemi in 2018
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| Born | 6 July 2000 Pori, Finland |
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| 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 |
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| NHL Draft | 3rd overall, 2018 Montreal Canadiens |
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| Playing career | 2017–present | ||
Jesperi Kotkaniemi (born July 6, 2000) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player. He plays as a center for the Carolina Hurricanes in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Montreal Canadiens picked him third overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
In October 2018, Jesperi made history. He became the first player born in the 2000s to play in one of the biggest sports leagues in North America. This happened when he joined the Canadiens for their first game of the season.
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About Jesperi Kotkaniemi's Life
Jesperi grew up in Pori, Finland. His parents are Mikael and Kati Kotkaniemi. His dad, Mikael, used to be a professional hockey player. He is also a coach.
Jesperi has an older brother named Kasperi. Kasperi is 16 months older and plays as a goaltender. Because they were close in age, Jesperi often played with Kasperi's older team.
In 2006, Mikael started coaching for Ässät's junior team. This meant Jesperi and Kasperi could use the club's ice rink all the time. They spent most of their childhood playing hockey. After being drafted by the Canadiens, Jesperi started learning French.
Jesperi's Hockey Journey
Starting in Finland
Jesperi began his youth hockey career with his hometown team, Porin Ässät. He joined their under-16 team in 2014 when he was 14 years old. He quickly moved up through the junior teams.
Jesperi showed great skill in scoring goals. He made his professional debut in the SM-liiga with Ässät in September 2017. In that game, he scored his first professional goal. As a 17-year-old rookie, he scored 10 goals and earned 29 points in 57 games.
Playing for the Montreal Canadiens
On June 22, 2018, the Montreal Canadiens chose Jesperi third overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He was considered one of the top players available. After attending the team's training camp, he signed a three-year contract in July 2018.
Jesperi played his first NHL game on October 3, 2018. He earned one assist in that game. He was the first person born in the year 2000 to play in a major North American sports league. On November 1, 2018, Jesperi scored his first two NHL goals against the Washington Capitals.
At 18 years and 118 days old, he became the second youngest player to score a goal for the Canadiens. He also became the youngest non-North American player to score two goals in an NHL game. He finished his first season with 34 points in 79 games.
After his first season, Jesperi had knee surgery for a minor injury. He scored his first goal of the 2019–20 season in the Canadiens' first game. Later, he had a concussion and missed eight games. In February 2020, he was sent to the Laval Rocket, the Canadiens' minor league team.
When the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the 2020–21 season, Jesperi played for Ässät in Finland. He stayed there until the NHL training camp began.
Joining the Carolina Hurricanes
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On August 28, 2021, Jesperi signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canadiens decided not to match the offer. This meant Jesperi moved to Carolina. The Canadiens received two draft picks as a result.
Jesperi was the first NHL player to switch teams this way since 2007. On March 21, 2022, the Hurricanes and Jesperi agreed to a new, long-term contract. It was an eight-year deal worth $38.5 million.
Playing for Finland
Jesperi first played for the Finnish national under-18 team in 2017. This was at the 2017 IIHF World U18 Championships in Slovakia. He scored 6 points in 7 games. His team won a silver medal.
He played again in the 2018 IIHF World U18 Championships in Russia. He led the top line and scored 9 points in 7 games. Finland won the gold medal, beating the United States. Jesperi was also named one of the top three players on the Finnish team.
| Medal record | ||
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Representing  Finland |
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| Ice hockey | ||
| World U18 Championships | ||
| Gold | 2018 Russia | |
| Silver | 2017 Slovakia | |
Career Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
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| 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 | ||
| 2023–24 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 79 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 36 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| Liiga totals | 67 | 12 | 25 | 37 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||
| NHL totals | 398 | 64 | 97 | 161 | 184 | 69 | 12 | 10 | 22 | 51 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Finland | U18 |  |
7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2017 | Finland | IH18 | 6th | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | |
| 2018 | Finland | U18 |  |
7 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 37 | |
| Junior totals | 18 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 43 | ||||
