Jesperi Kotkaniemi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Kotkaniemi in 2018
Born	(2000-07-06) 6 July 2000 (age 25) Pori, Finland
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	201 lb (91 kg; 14 st 5 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Carolina Hurricanes HC Ässät Pori Montreal Canadiens
NHL Draft	3rd overall, 2018 Montreal Canadiens
Playing career	2017–present

Jesperi Kotkaniemi (born 6 July 2000) is a professional ice hockey player from Finland. He plays as a center for the Carolina Hurricanes in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Montreal Canadiens chose him third overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In October 2018, he became the first player born in the 2000s to play in a major North American sports league. This happened when he joined the Canadiens' team for their first game of the season.

About Jesperi Kotkaniemi

His Early Life and Family

Jesperi Kotkaniemi grew up in Pori, Finland. His parents are Mikael and Kati Kotkaniemi. His father, Mikael, was also a professional hockey player. Mikael later became a coach. He moved to Pori after meeting Kati there.

Jesperi has an older brother named Kasperi. Kasperi is sixteen months older and plays as a goaltender. Because they were close in age, Jesperi often played with Kasperi's older age group. Their father worked as a coach for Ässät's youth teams. This meant Jesperi and Kasperi could use the club's ice rink whenever they wanted. They spent a lot of time practicing hockey as kids.

After being drafted by the Canadiens, Jesperi started learning French.

Starting His Hockey Journey

Playing for HC Ässät Pori

Jesperi Kotkaniemi started playing hockey with his hometown team, HC Ässät Pori. In the 2014–15 season, he was the top scorer for his team in the U16 league. He scored 33 points.

In the 2015–16 season, Jesperi played mostly for HC Ässät's U20 team. He was only 15 years old then. He also played some games for the U18 and U16 teams. He had some injuries in the 2016–17 season. Despite this, he scored 15 points in 17 games for the U20 team. His team won the U20 silver medal that season.

In June 2017, Kotkaniemi signed a three-year professional contract with HC Ässät. He played his first professional game at age 17. This was in the first game of the 2017–18 season. He became the first forward born in the 2000s to play in the Liiga, which is Finland's top league. He scored his first professional goal in that game. It was the winning goal in a 6–2 victory for HC Ässät. He also got an assist.

In his first season, Kotkaniemi scored 29 points in 57 games. He was one of the best scorers on his team. He was nominated for the award given to the best rookie in the Liiga.

Joining the Montreal Canadiens

On June 22, 2018, the Montreal Canadiens picked Kotkaniemi third overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He was considered one of the best players available. After a training camp, he signed a three-year contract on July 2, 2018.

On October 3, 2018, Kotkaniemi played his first NHL game. He got an assist in the game. He was the first person born in the year 2000 to play in one of North America's biggest sports leagues. On November 1, 2018, he scored his first two NHL goals. He was 18 years and 118 days old. This made him 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 one NHL game.

On January 6, 2019, Kotkaniemi reached 20 points before turning 19. He was only the third Canadiens player to do this. A month later, he set a new team record. He became the first Canadiens player under 19 to score goals in three games in a row. He finished his first season with 34 points in 79 games.

After his rookie season, Kotkaniemi had a minor knee surgery. He scored his first goal of the 2019–20 season in the Canadiens' first game. Later, in December 2019, he had an injury that made him miss eight games. In February 2020, he was sent to the Laval Rocket. This is the Canadiens' minor league team.

In October 2020, the Canadiens loaned Kotkaniemi back to HC Ässät in Finland. He played ten games there and scored eight points. His loan ended in November when the Canadiens called him back to prepare for the NHL season.

Moving to the Carolina Hurricanes

Kotkaniemi (left) playing against the Seattle Kraken in 2022.

On August 28, 2021, Kotkaniemi signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. This was a special type of contract called an "offer sheet." Seven days later, the Canadiens decided not to match the offer. This meant Kotkaniemi joined the Hurricanes. The Canadiens received draft picks as a trade for him. Kotkaniemi was the first NHL player to join a new team through an offer sheet since 2007.

On March 21, 2022, the Hurricanes and Kotkaniemi agreed to a new, longer contract. It was an eight-year deal worth $38.5 million. This new contract was rumored to be in the works since he first joined the team.

Playing for His Country

Medal record
Representing  Finland
Ice hockey
World U18 Championships
Gold	2018 Russia
Silver	2017 Slovakia

Kotkaniemi first played for Finland in 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 was a key player, scoring 9 points in 7 games. Finland won the gold medal in that tournament, beating the United States. The IIHF recognized him as one of the top three players on the Finnish team.

Career Stats

Regular Season and Playoffs

International Play

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