What team drafted Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft?

The Montreal Canadiens drafted Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.

Kotkaniemi was selected third overall by Montreal on June 22, 2018, at the draft in Dallas, Texas. The Finnish centre had been highly regarded by NHL Central Scouting after playing for Ässät in Finland’s Liiga. His selection made him one of the draft’s most prominent international prospects.

He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Canadiens on July 2, 2018, and made Montreal’s opening-night roster that October. On October 3, he debuted against the Toronto Maple Leafs and recorded an assist. He became the first player born in the 2000s to appear in one of North America’s four major professional sports leagues.

Kotkaniemi later scored his first NHL goals against the Washington Capitals in November 2018. Although he began his NHL career with Montreal, he eventually joined the Carolina Hurricanes after signing an offer sheet in 2021. That later change of team can cause confusion, but Montreal was unquestionably his drafting club.