Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Jesperi Kotkaniemi is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who is a centre for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected third overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2018 NHL entry draft. In October 2018, he became the first player born in the 2000s to play in one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, when he appeared on the Canadiens opening night roster. Kotkaniemi won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2026.