You can say you don’t get attached to players. That you’re a Montreal Canadiens supporter in general. A fan of the team. The game. The skill. But I’m willing to bet there isn’t one little piece of you that doesn’t smile when Brendan Gallagher flashes his evil grin on the ice. When Carey Price hugs a little boy who just lost his mother to cancer. Or when Max Domi gives a pep talk to a young boy who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi is a prime example of not just appreciating a player’s talent, but also being sucked in by his personality.