Per a report from Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette, Claude Julien, head coach of the Canadiens announced that Kotkaniemi will start the season in the NHL.
He showed a tremendous amount of promise this preseason and he’s earned a spot for the first few games of the season. Kotkaniemi showcased his talent right from the get-go in preseason as he scored a beautiful goal in his Habs preseason debut.
His teammate and former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman, Rinat Valiev found him wide open in the faceoff circle to the right of the New Jersey Devils net.