The Canadiens' most recent first-rounder is eager to chat with the former Canadiens captain. Having never met before, Kotkaniemi is keen to pick his brain.
"I think he will give me good advice about Montreal," mentioned Kotkaniemi, whose All-Star side also includes Joel Armia, Mikko Koivu, Sami Salo and Antti Raanta, among others. "He knows how things work there and how the NHL is different than the Finnish League. I think that will help me a lot."
While Kotkaniemi will be suiting up alongside one of his hockey heroes, he'll be going up against another in Teemu Selanne. "The Finnish Flash" - whom he hasn't met yet, either - was his hockey idol growing up.
"He wasn't always the biggest guy on the ice, but he was the best. He was a great skater and he scored goals. He always knew where he should be and the puck always went there. That's the big thing about him," shared Kotkaniemi. "It's maybe a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play with or against those guys."
The Pori native is coming off his first full preseason outing last Friday night, picking up two assists in a 3-2 loss to Vaasan Sport.
"It was a great feeling to get my game face on again," affirmed Kotkaniemi, who will be in preseason action again on Thursday when Ässät battles Lukko. "It was fun to get on the ice and play with the guys. I enjoyed that very much. I felt a bit stronger, like I had more power in my body. It was a better feeling on the ice than last season, I think."
