Saku Koivu

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Position Centre
Shoots Left
Nickname Captain K
Height
Weight		 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
187 lb (85 kg)
NHL Team Montreal Canadiens
Nationality Flag of Finland Finland
Born November 23, 1974,
Turku, FIN
NHL Draft 21st overall, 1993
Montreal Canadiens
Pro Career 1992 – present

Saku Koivu (born November 23, 1974 in Turku, Finland) is a professional ice hockey player, and plays center for the Montreal Canadiens as the current team captain.

Contents

[edit] Playing career

[edit] SM-liiga and NHL

Koivu started his professional ice hockey career playing for TPS in the Finnish SM-liiga, in the 1992–1993 season. He spent three seasons with TPS, winning two Finnish championships with the club in 1992 and 1995, and being elected Player of the Year by his fellow players in the 1994–1995 season. He was drafted by the Canadiens in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft as their 21st overall, and moved to North America for the 1995-96 season.

Koivu was made captain of the Canadiens in the 99-00 season and has held the post since. After six seasons in the NHL, Koivu was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in September 2001 and missed practically the entire 2001-02 NHL season. He made an amazing recovery and was able to return for the playoffs, leading the Canadiens to an unlikely first-round upset of the number one-ranked Boston Bruins. For his courage and off-ice team leadership while undergoing cancer treatment, he was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy following the 2002 playoffs. He followed up in the 2002-03 NHL season by scoring his career best single-season point total with 71 (21 goals, 50 assists).

During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Koivu returned to Finland to play for TPS, whose head coach at the time was his father, Jukka Koivu. He was joined in Turku by fellow Canadien, and close friend, Craig Rivet.

The 2005-06 NHL season was Koivu's sixth season as the Canadiens captain. His continued tenure seems to have ended a supposed curse of Habs captains. During a ten-year span from 1989 to 1999, six captains were traded away.

Koivu remains a close friend of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Mark Recchi, who was once a Canadien and a teammate of Koivu's before Recchi was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers.

[edit] Eye injury

On April 26, 2006, during a home playoff game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Koivu sustained a serious injury in his left eye. Hurricanes forward Justin Williams tried to lift Koivu's stick and struck him in the eye, under the protective visor. "The Canadiens were miffed that no penalty was called as officials failed to witness the play."[1]. Koivu was rushed to the hospital where he would remain overnight. Without Koivu, the Montreal Canadiens went on to lose the series and their chances at a Stanley Cup championship.

Williams, as a teammate of Mark Recchi (who played alongside Koivu as a Canadien), attempted to contact Koivu to apologize personally, but was only able to leave him a phone message.[2] Koivu would remain out of the lineup for the rest of the series and underwent surgery to repair a detached retina in the off-season.

As of the end of the 2006 pre-season, Koivu's eye has had a minimal effect on his ability as a player. While a small cataract had developed - which will be removed in the off-season - Koivu's play has demonstrated that he can still complement linemates Chris Higgins and Michael Ryder with no trouble.

[3].

[edit] Battle with cancer

Koivu battled non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He returned and was greeted with an inspirational standing ovation. He displayed a lot of courage and was encouraged by teammates and fans.

[4].

[edit] International

Koivu has represented Team Finland on several occasions and is the national team's captain. Most recently, he won a silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics, and bronze medals at the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics. He was also on the 2004 World Cup team, which advanced to the final but lost against Canada, thereby winning the silver medal.

Koivu's most renowned achievement with Team Finland is as first line center in the 1995 IIHF World Championships, where Finland won its only IIHF men's gold medal to date. Koivu played in the first line with Jere Lehtinen and Ville Peltonen (the "Huey, Dewey, and Louie" line [5]), who were all selected as tournament all-stars.

On February 23, 2006, Koivu was elected by his fellow Olympic competitors as a member of the Athletes' Commission of the IOC.

[edit] Awards

[edit] Career statistics

    Regular Season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1992-93 TPS SM-l 46 3 7 10 28 -- -- -- -- --
1993-94 TPS SM-l 47 23 30 53 42 11 4 8 12 16
1994-95 TPS SM-l 45 27 47 74 73 13 7 10 17 16
1995-96 Montreal Canadiens NHL 82 20 25 45 40 6 3 1 4 8
1996-97 Montreal Canadiens NHL 50 17 39 56 38 5 1 3 4 10
1997-98 Montreal Canadiens NHL 69 14 43 57 48 6 2 3 5 2
1998-99 Montreal Canadiens NHL 65 14 30 44 38 -- -- -- -- --
1999-00 Montreal Canadiens NHL 24 3 18 21 14 -- -- -- -- --
2000-01 Montreal Canadiens NHL 54 17 30 47 40 -- -- -- -- --
2001-02 Montreal Canadiens NHL 3 0 2 2 0 12 4 6 10 4
2002-03 Montreal Canadiens NHL 82 21 50 71 72 -- -- -- -- --
2003-04 Montreal Canadiens NHL 68 14 41 55 52 11 3 8 11 10
2004-05 TPS SM-l 20 8 8 16 28 6 3 2 5 30
2005-06 Montreal Canadiens NHL 72 17 45 62 70 3 0 2 2 2
NHL Career Totals 569 137 323 460 412 43 13 23 36 36

[edit] International play

Olympic medal record
Men's Ice hockey
Bronze 1994 Lillehammer Ice hockey
Bronze 1998 Nagano Ice hockey
Silver 2006 Turin Ice hockey

Played for Finland in:

[edit] International statistics

Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
1993 Finland WC 6 0 1 1 2
1994 Finland OLY 8 4 3 7 12
1994 Finland WC 8 5 6 11 4
1995 Finland WC 8 5 5 10 18
1996 Finland WCH 4 1 3 4 4
1997 Finland WC 6 2 2 4 2
1998 Finland OLY 6 2 8 10 4
1999 Finland WC 10 4 12 16 4
2003 Finland WC 7 1 10 11 4
2004 Finland WCH 6 3 1 4 2
2006 Finland OLY 8 3 8 11 12

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Preceded by:
Vincent Damphousse		 Montreal Canadiens Captains
1999 – present		 Incumbent
Preceded by:
Esa Keskinen		 Winner of the Kultainen kypärä
1994-95		 Succeeded by:
Juha Riihijärvi
Preceded by:
Adam Graves		 Bill Masterton Trophy Winner
2002		 Succeeded by:
Steve Yzerman
Preceded by:
Ari Sulander		 Winner of the Jari Kurri trophy
1994-95		 Succeeded by:
Petri Varis
Preceded by:
Esa Keskinen		 Winner of the Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy
1994-95		 Succeeded by:
Juha Riihijärvi
Preceded by:
Teemu Selänne		 Winner of the President's trophy
1998-99		 Succeeded by:
Esa Tikkanen
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