2018-19 Upper Deck *PSA 9* Jesperi Kotkaniemi Young Guns #249

Jesperi Kotkaniemi (born 6 July 2000) is a Finnish professional ice hockey center currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted third overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In October 2018, he became the first player born in the 2000s to play in one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, when he appeared on the Canadiens opening night roster.

Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) is a US based sports card and trading card grading company. PSA was launched in July 1991 by David Hall, owner of the coin grading company Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), to serve collectors as a third-party card grader. At the outset, the business faced difficulties owing to a limited demand from collectors who sought card grading services. Initially, many sports card dealers were against the concept of relying on an external organization to evaluate and grade their cards. They declined to utilize card grading services. However, over time, there was a significant change in the market's perspective, leading to a strong demand for graded cards. This shift was primarily prompted by the widespread problem of deception and fraudulent practices observed at trade shows. Buyers seldom felt confident when making purchases, as there was a constant uncertainty about whether they were acquiring genuine cards or counterfeits. As a result of these concerns, the adoption of third-party grading companies became progressively more widespread.