Ex-Hab Jesperi Kotkaniemi trolls Montreal

Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been a member of the Carolina Hurricanes ever since he signed the offer sheet that he was given by Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell in the summer of 2021. While some say that it was an act of revenge after the Canadiens pulled the same maneuver with Sebastien Aho, Waddell insists otherwise. 

It goes without saying that the hockey culture in Montreal as opposed to Raleigh, North Carolina is almost night and day. As the most historic Original 6 franchise in the National Hockey League, the media scrutiny that players in Montreal receive is relentless and never ending; for younger players, it can become rather daunting. 

And in a recent interview with The Hockey News, Kotkaniemi admitted that things for him are much easier with the Hurricanes in terms of dealing with the media spotlight. 

“The media is really big in Montreal, and it can get in your head really fast if you read all that stuff,” Kotkaniemi said.

"Here in Carolina, the life is so much easier," he continued. "You don't really stress about anything. Great teammates. Great staff. The media is not bad. It's really a stress-free life here."

And the Hurricanes are envisioning big things from Kotkaniemi moving forward. 

“He could become a combination of a Jordan Staal type player — a guy you play against the other team’s best players — and someone who can score goals and make plays,” said head coach Rod Brind'Amour. 

In the 77 games that he's played this season with Carolina, Kotkaniemi has tallied 16 goals with 23 assists, a new career high in points.