Eliteprospects
Finland Jesper Kotajärvi
#4 Tappara / Liiga - 25/26
Date of Birth
Jul 24, 2007
Position
D
Age
18
Height
6'0" / 182 cm
Place of Birth
Kokkola, FIN
Weight
176 lbs / 80 kg
Nation
Finland
Shoots
L
Youth Team
Hermes
Contract
25/26
Agency
PREMIUM

Kotajärvi is at his best when he’s pushing the pace on the offensive side of the puck. He has a desire to get involved in the play, frequently activating off the rush, then looking to delay and search for trailing options as a passer Defensively, he’s also in his element when he gets to play aggressively, pinching from the point to keep the play alive. -EliteProspects 2025 NHL Draft Guide

© Photo: Dan Hickling

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Jesper Kotajärvi Statistics

S Team League GP G A TP PIM +/-   POST GP G A TP PIM +/-
2021-22 Hermes U16 “A” U16 SM-sarja 35* 11* 24* 35* 74* -* |
Hermes U17 U17 Ylempi 1* 2* 3* 5* 2* -* |
Hermes U18 U18 Mestis 5* 1* 3* 4* 4* -* |
Hermes U20 U20 SM-sarja 0* 0* 0* 0* 0* 0* | Relegation 4 0 2 2 0 3
2022-23 Hermes U16 U16 SM-sarja 1* 0* 2* 2* 0* -* |
Hermes U18 U18 SM-sarja 1* 0* 0* 0* 0* -* | Relegation 6 4 4 8 24 -
Hermes U20 U20 Mestis 29* 3* 16* 19* 24* -* |
Hermes Mestis 4* 0* 0* 0* 2* -5* |
Finland U16 (all) International-Jr 12* 1* 2* 3* 6* 6* |
2023-24 Tappara U20 U20 SM-sarja 37* 6* 17* 23* 36* 15* | Playoffs 8 2 4 6 6 -4
Finland U17 “A” WHC-17 7* 3* 2* 5* 8* -* |
Finland U17 (all) International-Jr 14* 4* 5* 9* 14* -* |
Finland U18 (all) International-Jr 4* 0* 1* 1* 0* -* |
2024-25 Tappara U18 U18 SM-sarja 0* 0* 0* 0* 0* -* | Playoffs 9 4 9 13 4 -
Tappara U20 U20 SM-sarja 30* 8* 7* 15* 44* 2* | Playoffs 7 2 3 5 6 2
Tappara Liiga 12* 1* 0* 1* 2* -2* |
Finland U18 “A” WJC-18 5* 1* 1* 2* 2* 4* |
Finland U18 (all) International-Jr 21* 1* 5* 6* 8* 5* |
2025-26 Tappara U20 U20 SM-sarja 7* 1* 6* 7* 10* -1* |
Finland U20 (all) International-Jr 5* 0* 0* 0* 2* -* |
Tappara Liiga 18* 0* 0* 0* 2* 2* |
Projected Liiga 44* 0* 0* 0* 5* 5* |

Jesper Kotajärvi Tournament Statistics

S Team League GP G A TP PIM +/-   POST GP G A TP PIM +/-
2021-22 Finland Selects U15 WSI U15 5* 3* 0* 3* -* -* |
2024-25 Finland U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup 4* 0* 1* 1* 0* -* |

Jesper Kotajärvi Career Totals

League Years GP G A TP PPG PIM +/- | Years GP G A TP PPG PIM +/-
Hlinka Gretzky Cup 1 4* 0* 1* 1* 0.25* 0* -* | 0 * * * * * *
International-Jr 4 56* 6* 13* 19* 0.34* 30* 11* | 0 * * * * * *
Liiga 2 30* 1* 0* 1* 0.03* 4* 0* | 0 * * * * * *
Mestis 1 4* 0* 0* 0* 0.00* 2* -5* | 0 * * * * * *
U16 SM-sarja 2 36* 11* 26* 37* 1.03* 74* -* | 0 * * * * * *
U17 Ylempi 1 1* 2* 3* 5* 5.00* 2* -* | 0 * * * * * *
U18 Mestis 1 5* 1* 3* 4* 0.80* 4* -* | 0 * * * * * *
U18 SM-sarja 2 1* 0* 0* 0* 0.00* 0* -* | 2 15 8 * 13 * 21 * 1.40 * 28 * - *
U20 Mestis 1 29* 3* 16* 19* 0.66* 24* -* | 0 * * * * * *
U20 SM-sarja 4 74* 15* 30* 45* 0.61* 90* 16* | 3 19 4 * 9 * 13 * 0.68 * 12 * 1 *
WHC-17 1 7* 3* 2* 5* 0.71* 8* -* | 0 * * * * * *
WJC-18 1 5* 1* 1* 2* 0.40* 2* 4* | 0 * * * * * *
WSI U15 1 5* 3* 0* 3* 0.60* -* -* | 0 * * * * * *
* Some data is missing to provide a correct summary.

Jesper Kotajärvi Career Highlights

Season
Awards by season
Transactions
DATE STATUS FROM TO SOURCE
03/07/2024
03/07/2024 Extension Tappara U20 Tappara
Player Biography and Trivia

2025 NHL Entry Draft: Ranked #159 by FCHockey

2025 NHL Entry Draft: Ranked #139 by McKeen's Hockey

2025 NHL Entry Draft: Ranked #29 by NHL Central Scouting