Saku Koivu

Saku Koivu (Born November 23, 1974 in Turku) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who plays for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League. He is currently the team captain.

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 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 National Hockey League first round draft picks, #21 overall, and moved to North America for the 1995-96 season.

In the NHL

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 the 2001-02 NHL season and missed practically the whole season. He made an amazing recovery and was able to return for the playoffs, leading the Canadiens to an unlikely upset of the number one-ranked Boston Bruins. For his perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey he was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for the 2001-02 NHL season.

In the 2002-03 NHL season Koivu rebounded from his illness by scoring his highest number of points in a season yet, 71 (21 goals, 50 assists).

During the NHL lockout, Koivu returned to Finland to play for TPS, whose head coach at the time was his father, Jukka Koivu. His brother, Mikko Koivu also played for TPS. He was joined in Turku by fellow Canadien Craig Rivet.

The 2005-06 NHL season, is Koivu's sixth season as the Canadiens captain. Koivu's continued tenure seems to have ended the (1989-99) supposed curse of Habs captains. During that ten-year span, six captains were traded away.

Koivu's younger brother Mikko plays for the Minnesota Wild of the NHL.

Is great friends with Carolina Hurricanes forward Mark Recchi, who was once a Hab and a teammate of Koivu before Recchi was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers. When Mark Recchi is in town for a game between Montreal and his team, Koivu invites Recchi for supper at his home.

On Wednesday, April 26, 2006, during a home playoff game with the Carolina Hurricanes, he was cut in his left eye. Hurricanes forward Justin Williams tried to lift Koivu's stick and accidentally gouged him directly in the eye (under the protective visor). 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, being a teammate of Mark Recchi's, attempted to contact Koivu to apologize personally, but according to the TSN article was only able to leave him a phone message^*. There was no call on the incident and the Canadiens lost the game in question, 2-1 in overtime. Koivu would remain out of the lineup for the rest of the series and would then undergo surgery about a week later. As for the Hurricanes, they went on to win their first ever Stanley Cup in franchise history on June 19, 2006.

International play

Koivu has represented Team Finland on several occasions, most recently winning 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 is Team Finland's Captain.

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, who were all selected into the 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.

Awards

Gold medal and tournament all-star at the 1995 Ice Hockey World Championships
SM-liiga championship - 1992 and 1995
Kultainen kypärä award - 1995
Jari Kurri trophy - 1995
Lasse Oksanen trophy for best player in the SM-liiga regular season - 1995
Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy for most points scored during the regular season - 1995
Bill Masterton Trophy - 2002
Olympic Silver medal - Torino 2006

Stats

League

			Regular Season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1992-93	TPS	FNL	46	3	7	10	28	--	--	--	--	--
1993-94	TPS	FNL	47	23	30	53	42	11	4	8	12	16
1994-95	TPS	FNL	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	FNL	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
Career	Totals	NHL	569	137	323	460	412	43	13	23	36	36

International

Gold medal with Team Finland at the 1995 Ice Hockey World Championships
Bronze medal with Team Finland at the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics and Silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Team Finland captain at the 2003 World Championships, 2004 World Cup of Hockey and 2006 Winter Olympics

International statistics

Year	Team	Event	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1994	Finland	OLY	8	4	3	7	12
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

External links

Saku Koivu on nhlfinns.com

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