Canadiens No. 3 pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi says it’s his ‘mission’ to be as good as Saku Koivu
The Montreal Canadiens won the No. 3 overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery, and they used it to select Finnish center Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The forward already has high expectations for himself.
The Montreal Canadiens have one of, if not the, richest histories in the NHL. So it’s no surprise that incoming draft prospects would be looking to model their game after their new team’s all-time greats.
When talking about the Canadiens all-time greats, one must of course think of Saku Koivu, whom the Canadiens drafted in 1995–96 after three seasons with TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga.
To this day, Koivu holds the distinction of serving the longest tenure as Canadiens captain, for 10 of his 14 years in Montreal, tying Jean Béliveau.
Needless to say, the Finnish center holds natural parallels with the Canadiens’ selection at No. 3 overall, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, a Finnish center with Assat.
When Kotkaniemi spoke with the media Friday night immediately following his selection by Montreal, he spoke to the comparisons to Koivu. He’s never met him, he says, but of course he knows him, even though he was too young to follow much of his career. (Kotkaniemi was born in 2000.)
Kotkaniemi told gathered media that he knows what Koivu’s history is with the organization and indicated that he knows he has something to live up to.
“I hope some day I will be as good as him,” Kotkaniemi said. “That’s my mission.”
Kotkaniemi also spoke about his game. “I’m mostly a playmaker, I think,” he said. “I love to find the passing lanes. That’s my thing, but I also have a good shot. I need to use it a little bit more I think, but yeah, I’m a big guy. I love to go in the corners and battle hard. That’s my thing.”
Next: Statistically Ranking Top 10 Forwards In NHL of this Generation
A two-way player who had a strong showing during the U-18 world championship, Kotkaniemi played on the wing with Assat of Finland this season but will slot in nicely at center for the Habs. It was one of the key positions of need for the Canadiens, and while Kotkaniemi likely won’t be ready to play in the 2018-19 campaign, he provides a promising future.