Quotes of the day: Kotkaniemi

MONTREAL - After a regular season hampered by injuries and a stint in the AHL, Jesperi Kotkaniemi came roaring back in the playoffs following the NHL's pause. The Finnish sophomore center was a big reason for Montreal's success in defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Qualifying Round, and kept up his solid play in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Kotkaniemi met with the media via conference call from Finland on Thursday; read on for some highlights of what he said.
After racking up eight points (6G, 2A) in 36 games with the Canadiens in his second year in the NHL, Kotkaniemi was sent down to the AHL's Laval Rocket where he finished the 2019-20 season. After the League's pause, however, the 20-year-old emerged as a dominant force, becoming a key contributor as he took over center on one of the club's top-2 lines and tied for the team lead in goals with four. Kotkaniemi on his improved showing in the postseason:
"I think I just needed a little reset after the season and I got that with a little rest. I just had the mindset that I was going to work as hard as I could and go back when I was ready. I wanted to feel good when it was time to step on the ice again, and I think I did. There's now time again to grow more and get even stronger for when I go back next year."

Not only did Kotkaniemi contribute on the scoresheet, but he put his 6-foot-2 frame to good use and played a very physical game, finishing second behind only Ben Chiarot (38) for the team lead in hits (36). Kotkaniemi on what motivated him to play more gritty hockey in the playoffs:
"Pretty much just for fun. I think that's part of the game. It keeps me awake all the time. It's fun sometimes."
The third-overall draft pick in 2018 had some kind words for fellow pivot Phillip Danault and his work mentoring the team's younger players:
"He's been really nice, he's a great guy. He helps me a lot with the little things. He's really nice for the young guys. He's been a big help when we work on faceoffs and the D-zone stuff. You can always ask him if you something. That's been really good the past two years."
Kotkaniemi wasn't the only young center to break out in the playoffs, with Nick Suzuki also dazzling fans and teammates alike with his exciting play. Kotkaniemi on the possibility of him and Suzuki being a dynamic duo at center for years to come for the Canadiens:
"Yeah, I would love that for sure. He's a great player. He's always doing something when he's on the ice; he's really fun to watch. He's a great guy, really enjoy spending time with him. He's a great player for this organization.
"It sounds like [Marc Bergevin] trusts us and it feels really good. Nick and I are going to do our best and hopefully, it'll be good enough for our team."

Kotkaniemi isn't resting on his laurels, however; he knows he has a lot of work to do if he wants to replicate his strong playoff performance when the 2020-21 campaign gets underway:
"I think I need to improve everything. I'm still a young guy, I just turned turned 20, and there are still many areas I need to improve in. I just want to get better in every area and be an even better player when I go back."