Kotkaniemi maturing, gaining confidence with Hurricanes

Jesperi Kotkaniemi made a strong impact in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, tallying seven points with three goals and four assists in 15 games.

Reflecting on his performance, Kotkaniemi expressed, “I think the end of last year gave me a lot of confidence, so I felt it was a little easier to start this year. The big thing is to try to be consistent every night. That’s what I’m trying to achieve this year.”

Despite struggling to find consistency during his time in Montreal, Kotkaniemi’s potential shone through, especially during the pandemic-impacted seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21. Following his rookie season where he scored 34 points, he managed 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists) in the subsequent two seasons.

His impact in the 2021 playoffs, amassing eight points with five goals and three assists, helped Montreal advance to the Stanley Cup Final. However, the Canadiens opted not to match Kotkaniemi’s one-year, $6.1 million offer sheet from the Hurricanes, leading to his unexpected move to Carolina.

Now in the second year of an eight-year, $38.56 million contract with the Hurricanes, Kotkaniemi has proven his worth as the team’s No. 2 center behind Sebastian Aho.

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour attested to Kotkaniemi’s growth, stating, “He’s matured as a player. He was a young kid when he came in, and it’s amazing to see the growth between 19 and 22. Additionally, the understanding of how the game is played has greatly improved, and he has a strong willingness to continue to develop.”

“I try to be effective around the net,” Kotkaniemi shared. “That’s been good for me. I’m trying to get better at that and make that my trademark. I’m a big guy so I have to use my big body to find those loose pucks there. That has worked for me.”