Maple Leafs hire Mikael Kotkaniemi, father of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, as a European Scout

The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Mikael Kotkaniemi, the father of Carolina Hurricanes centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi, as a European scout.

The elder Kotkaniemi was quietly added to the Leafs’ management page on their website as one of their 13 amateur scouts on Wednesday morning. He announced his hiring on his LinkedIn page on Friday, stating that he had already been part of the team for several weeks at that point.

“I’m excited to share that as of August 1, 2025, I have joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as a European Scout, with responsibility for the entire continent,” he wrote. “It’s a real privilege to become part of such a storied organization—one that inspires so much passion and emotion among fans around the world. I’m looking forward to contributing to the Leafs’ future success.”

In addition to Kotkaniemi, the Leafs also hired Steven Reinprecht as a Pro Scou t, John-Paul Laciak as an Assistant Athletic Therapist, Trevor Bartoli as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach and Performance Coordinator, and Nick Biamonte as Video Coach for the Toronto Marlies.

Kotkaniemi has been coaching in Finland for the better part of the last two decades, including at the Liiga level for nearly 10 years and most recently their Under-18 program. He has ample experience working with and developing the youth in his homeland, which has helped contribute to his country continuing to churn out some of the best hockey players in the world. This will not only be his first time working as a scout, but also his first time working with an NHL team.

His expertise in identifying the best young players Finland has to offer might explain why Mark Leach, the Leafs’ head of amateur scouting, wanted to add Kotkaniemi to his scouting staff. It already includes Thommie Bergman, the man responsible for the Leafs drafting William Nylander, and now the addition of Kotkaniemi should give the Leafs an additional boost in unearthing quality talent across the pond. This will go a long way in ensuring that a team that won’t be drafting in the first round until 2028 at the time of filing remain competitive for a long time.

By no means does this hiring suggest that the Leafs will soon be trading for Jesperi Kotkaniemi, but it certainly helps to have someone who helped bring a former third overall pick into this world as part of the scouting department.