Kotkaniemi Elated To Be A Cane For The Long Haul

RALEIGH, NC. - The Carolina Hurricanes core of young talent locked up another key piece to the puzzle long-term.
Already including Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, among others, Jesperi Kotkaniemi became the latest member of the bunch to sign a multi-year agreement,
inking an eight-year contract extension with the team
.

"It's a great feeling," the 21-year-old forward began. "I think we have a great group here, they've been awesome to be around. Every day we all come to the rink and work really hard, trying to be the best team in the league. You just want to be a part of that type of group every single day."
Just 59 games into his tenure with the team, Kotkaniemi has been enjoying both the current culture and the direction of which the team is headed.
"There's a lot of good, young players here," the first-year Cane expressed of his teammates. "The team is really good now, but when you look at these guys, we're going to be really good in the future, too," he continued. "What could be better than to be a part of a team like that?"
Offering his signature to General Manager & President Don Waddell for the second time in eight months, the seamless fit began after the Canes landed the forward after a successful offer sheet in September.
"When I got here I remembered why hockey is so fun," the center continued, raving about his new surroundings.
"It's just a great feeling to come to the rink every day. You know that you have to work as hard as you can every day to try and get better and to try and help the team get better. I get excited when I think about it."
From the perspective of Waddell, he's more than thrilled to get the young center under his team's control for the remainder of the decade.
"To a tee, we're all confident he's going to continue to grow his game," the GM offered Monday afternoon when meeting with the media. "He's going to continue to learn and put up bigger numbers."

Armed with an infectious positive attitude, it's more than just a one-way street though, as Kotkaniemi's teammates have enjoyed having him in the fold just as much.
"He's an awesome kid. And I can use the word kid with him because he's 21. He's learning how to play his style and create his identity," veteran forward Derek Stepan said of him. "[He's learning] what his role and what his uniqueness is going to be. He's a fun guy to be around and we have a lot of fun together."
Stepan went on to say that their chemistry between the two is so strong, he jokes that his last name is Stepaniemi, becoming an honorary member of the Finns that have made Kotkaniemi feel right at home.
Along with Aho, Kotkaniemi has fellow countrymen Teuvo Teravainen and Antti Raanta aiding him in making the transition, with the group being referenced as the "Finnish Mafia" over the course of the season.
As far as the coach's thoughts on his newly inked forward? He's more than pleased too.
"His game's gotten better all year," Rod Brind'Amour said of Kotkaniemi. "What I like about his game is that he definitely sees the ice really well. He's got a great shot. I really want him to use it more. He can really rip it. He's competitive."
To the same extent that Brind'Amour exudes belief in the 2018 draft's third overall selection, Kotkaniemi is quick to credit the reigning Jack Adams award winner for the reasons why he's taken steps forward.
"He's been doing this for a long time and he's been one of the guys in the room. Everyone is comfortable around him. He's a great leader for our group," the center spoke passionately. "He's got great tips every day. He knows the little details. He makes everyone feel great about themselves. It's great to be around him. He understands the players. He's watching the game a lot through the players perspectives. He's thinking the same way as us. He knows what he wants and he knows how to tell us what to do. It's really easy to follow him."

As Kotkaniemi continues to grow under the tutelage of Brind'Amour, one of the things he's most looking forward to is getting to play in front of Caniacs at PNC Arena for years to come.
"First of all, I've been really surprised how good it is here, every single night," he went on. "You know how there's normally off nights, like a Tuesday night game? Every single night the crowd is going. So that's been awesome to see."
"When the boys told me when I got here that the fan base was really good, I was like, 'really?' I'm always surprised how good it is here, every single day. It's been awesome."
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