Sharing the ice with Armia, meanwhile, will always be particularly special for Kotkaniemi. In addition to being a fellow countryman, of course, Armia was also the young centerman's hero growing up.
These days, though, Kotkaniemi is learning valuable lessons from Armia on a daily basis.
"I think he's one of my mentors here. Like I've said many times, he was my idol when I was a kid. He helps me a lot on the ice and off the ice," explained Kotkaniemi. "He's a hard-working guy, and you always like to play with those players."
To say that Kotkaniemi is a fan of Armia's game would be an understatement.
"If you go on YouTube and watch what he was doing in the Finnish League, you can see he had those hands there," mentioned Kotkaniemi, who is eager to see Armia get his scoring mojo going in short order. "I think he should just use those a little bit more. I think he's a hell of a player. He should just trust that more."
Support for Kotkaniemi's statement on Armia's sweet hands can be found right here…