Jesperi Kotkaniemi received high praise from the Russian star – "Cannot emphasize too much"

Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s name was not found in the Carolina Hurricanes’ active roster at any point during the championship-winning NHL season. However, that does not mean that the Finnish player’s contribution was insignificant.

In the midst of the Stanley Cup celebrations, several Hurricanes players highlighted the Porvoo native as one of the team’s important behind-the-scenes contributors. Although he did not receive playing time in the playoffs, his respect in the locker room was high.

– The importance of Kotkaniemi and other depth players cannot be overstated, as they brought a positive attitude and energy to practice every day. They gave us strength in those moments when we needed an extra boost, Carolina’s Russian star Andrei Svechnikov praised on the NHL’s website.

The same message was sent by Hurricanes depth forward Mark Jankowski.

– Jesperi was a big part of this team, and he deserves his name on the championship trophy. His attitude and work ethic were at a high level every single day, Jankowski praised.

Kotkaniemi himself emphasized the strong team spirit of the championship team. Although a spot in the lineup remained a dream during the most important moments of the spring, the Finn did not feel like an outsider in the team.

– At the core of this team were two things, heart and community. Every player was ready to fight for one another, and no individual’s importance was downplayed throughout the season, Kotkaniemi said.

The Finnish player, who played his fifth season in Carolina, recorded 9 points in 42 regular-season games with 2 goals and 7 assists.

The number of games is also enough to ensure that Kotkaniemi’s name will be engraved on the Stanley Cup trophy, as he played more than the required 41 games in the regular season.