Janne Kuokkanen's Personality Shines Behind the Scenes

Make that another restricted free agent marked off of Tom Fitzgerald's list of To-Do's.
Janne Kuokkanen has signed a
two-year extension with New Jersey
after a standout rookie season. Secured are Janne's talents on the ice and a behind-the-scenes character off the ice as well.
The 23-year-old sprung onto the Devils scene last season and made an impact. Starting the year alongside a wily veteran in
Travis Zajac
and jumping into top-line duties, Kuokkanen established himself as part of the core - a name you frequently hear when general manager Tom Fitzgerald or head coach Lindy Ruff use when talking about the future of the franchise.
Behind the scenes,
Kuokkanen
became just as comfortable off the ice as he did on the ice. He wasn't around very long before the 2019-20 season came to a close due to the COVID-19 pandemic, playing in just one game for New Jersey shortly after being acquired from Carolina via trade. He didn't know other players on the team and appeared to be on the shy side, which was certainly understandable with microphones and cameras in your face on Day 1 with the franchise.

But what was noticeable was that as Kuokkanen became more comfortable on the ice, his personality began to shine off it as well. You can chalk that up to getting to know and spending time with teammates, being around the staff and having that familiarity, but there was certainly a distinct change.

Janne likes to joke around. Walking into, what team staff called, the Zoom Room, for media availabilities. I often would be sitting right outside the door.
"Make sure you ask me a hard question this time," he would say in jest, revealing a big smile across his face.
He'd walk out, and joke (or maybe he was serious?!), not hard enough.
Sometimes the Devils ask players to record "reads," which can be a message to fans, an announcement for in arena or others needs that require a player to read from a script. Janne once walked out of the room and told me that we'd have a good blooper reel after it took him a couple of tries.
I told him, of course, he wouldn't be the only one. And no, I won't release the bloopers publicly. Some things are sacred.
Look no further than Janne's Twitter bio to get a taste of his type of humor.
Rehellinen suomalainen veronmaksaja.
Click translate:
An honest Finnish taxpayer.

There was something about the chemistry between him and Yegor Sharangovich that felt special right from the get-go. They're two undercover hilarious personalities that mesh well together, just about anywhere. The two poked fun at one another, the Zoom Room was one of their more common stages.
If Yegor was in an interview, you'd often find Janne standing to the side, off-camera, his presence was all it took for Yegor to break into a smile, sometimes even a laugh. This happened vice-versa as well. The two had just as much fun off the ice as they have had on the ice, and are growing into their roles as part of the young core together.

The two had the benefit of being insulated with the veteran presence and defensively responsible Zajac at the start of the year, which proved to be an important moment in time for both Kuokkanen and Sharangovich. It allowed the two players to adapt to the NHL game, learn from their mistakes, and have the added bonus of Zajac there to calm things down if need be.
There was a moment in time where Lindy Ruff was still trying to figure out where the chemistry existed on his new team. Once the Kuokkanen line was put together, it became the most reliable and consistent. Only when Zajac was traded to the NY Islanders on April 7, 2021, was that line forced into a breakup.
"As the season has gone along, they've gotten better. They understand the game a lot better," Ruff said at the time. "They've been in a lot of big plays for us, they played big roles. For me, the important part is both players have grown and gotten better."
And through the growth process comes more responsibility, Kuokkanen finding himself skating on the top line on Jack Hughes' wing. Once again, under different circumstances, the success remained. With Jack at center, the line had a different feel to it, making way for the speed and flashes of offensive potential making headway. It's also hard to mention Janne without mentioning Sharangovich. It seems this season, the two come hand-in-hand.
"It's a pair that we trust almost in every situation. Defensively, offensively and it's fun to see them grow," Ruff said towards the end of the 2020-21 season. "They've gotten better. I still think there's tremendous upside with those players and hope to see them continue to grow through these last games."
Kuokkanen is clearly familiar and comfortable now with his new team and burgeoning friendships, and he's full of personality. Janne is quick-witted, likes to joke around, and genuinely looks like he's just having a good time.

We're lucky to have him for another two years.
And we know he'll pay his taxes.