Ässät was the better of the two teams coming out of the gate against Vassan Sport as Liiga preseason hockey got underway. However, two breakaway goals over the course the game gave the Sport the eventual 3-2 lead over Ässät. The defensive mistakes made can be fixed, but a positive to take away from it all, when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens anyway, was how well Jesperi Kotkaniemi played.
It was another solid performance for the 18-year-old who finished the game with two assists as the team’s first line centre in between Otto Kivenmäki and Aleksi Rekonen.