The future arrived at Montreal Canadiens’ development camp last week in the form of 17-year-old center Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
Selected third overall by the Canadiens in the 2018 NHL Draft, Kotkaniemi fills a void down the middle for the perpetually center-starved Habs. In 57 games playing against men – in some cases more than double his age – in the Finnish Elite League, Kotkaniemi posted a respectable 29 points, good for second among team forwards.
However, it’s what lies ahead that sold the Montreal Canadiens on Kotkaniemi.
“He’s a natural center, and during the second half of the season he really showed his potential,” general manager Marc Bergevin told reporters at the draft.
“We see a lot of upside in him” assistant general manager Trevor Timmins, who runs the team’s draft, said in Dallas. “We have a strong projection on him to become a top-two line center in the future.”
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Last Thursday, Kotkaniemi got his first taste of Habs Nation, with hundreds of fans making the trip out to Brossard to watch the team’s highest-drafted player since the recently-traded Alex Galchenyuk.
“I’m just excited to prove myself,” Kotkaniemi said following the first day of practice on Friday. “I want to be one of the best players in the world.”
It wasn’t his first time in Montreal. Two years ago, the Finnish national team held a development camp in the city.
“It’s a great city,” he said. “I love that. I heard there’s great fans, so I can’t wait to meet them.”
Unlike many of the North Americans at the development camp, Kotkaniemi didn’t play summer hockey growing up, instead focusing on soccer as a striker. As such, he hadn’t been on the ice in weeks before lacing up his skates at camp.
“It was so tough. It was terrible to me,” he said with a laugh on Saturday. “It’s getting better. Today was a better day.”
It’s that laid-back confidence that will endear the soon-to-be 18-year old to Habs fans for years to come. Rob Ramage, the team’s director of player development, noticed it right away.
"You know, I don't find that he's in awe of anything," Ramage said. "But that means that he's come from a hockey background, and he's been playing in the men's league there too. But he's still young. You look at him and you can tell. There's growth still to be had with him."
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On Saturday, the team acquired Joel Armia in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets. It’s a move that Kotkaniemi was excited about, given his special connection to Armia. At the draft in Dallas, Kotkaniemi told Finnish reporters that Armia was his favourite player growing up, and that he had a poster of him in his bedroom.
While it’s unsure the two will be teammates this season - Kotkaniemi is likely returning to Assat to play under his father despite signing his entry-level contract on Sunday - they could find themselves as teammates down the line.
1er contrat de la LNH : signé ✅
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 1, 2018
1st NHL contract: signed ✅#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/GGIXuYmFlw
“It will happen,” he said, smiling, when asked when he’ll make his Canadiens debut.
Kotkaniemi, whose name means eagle in Finnish, is also hoping to cross paths with a Montreal Canadiens legend when he returns home after development camp.
“I hope I will meet Saku Koivu this summer,” he said.