Minnesota Wild legend Mikko Koivu was a silent assassin, a foundational piece, a 200-foot player, who led by example night in and night out. For a second-year team like the Wild were in 2001 they could not afford to miss with their first-round picks, especially in the top 10. If they had missed, they would have had seasons of suffering ahead. Koivu was picked sixth overall, which was fortunate. There were a lot more misses than hits in the 2001 NHL Draft class.
Decoy Worked Ahead of the NHL Draft
The Montreal Canadiens, who picked seventh, wanted Koivu big time. Mikko’s older brother Saku was the number one center in Montreal at the time.
“And with the actual draft, at first there was a big rumor that Montreal would take me,” said Koivu. “Then when it was Minnesota’s turn, my dad actually said, ‘this one feels good,’ because we knew the hockey culture and background with what Minnesota had, and we knew how much hockey meant to the people here.”
Former Wild general manager Doug Risebrough had made it sound like they would select a franchise goalie as a decoy, says Tom Lynn, then-Minnesota Wild assistant general manager in his book “How to Bake an NHL Franchise From Scratch.”
“Doug even went so far as to discuss at length how important goaltending was to the long-term success of the franchise,” wrote Lynn. “The Montreal Canadiens staff next to us erupted. Fists slammed the table, French curse words were mumbled and glares were exchanged.”
The rest, as they say, is history.
Top-2 Center for 12 Seasons
While his offensive numbers were not crazy, Koivu was consistent. The Wild never had to worry about what he’d bring to the table. He was once nominated for the Selke Trophy in 2017 despite being one of the better two-way centers in the NHL.
He is the all-time franchise leader in assists and points and ranks second in goals. Koivu ranks seventh in goals, second in assists, and fourth in points among his draft class. In 1,035 games, he scored 206 goals and 505 assists for 711 points.
Koivu Named First Official Captain
On Oct. 20, 2009, Koivu was named the first permanent captain in franchise history; the team went with four alternate captains for their first nine seasons. He didn’t take the appointment lightly. Before it was officially announced, he checked with certain veterans, specifically Andrew Brunette and Owen Nolan, to make sure they were onboard. They were.
Related: Wild Top 10 Players All-Time: No. 1 Mikko Koivu
Koivu wore the “C” for the next 11 seasons; he and Jared Spurgeon are the only captains in Wild history.
Koivu Moves On
After the 2019-20 season, the Wild announced they would not re-sign the veteran captain. ”Off the ice, Mikko’s impact in the State of Hockey was immeasurable as he went out of his way to make a positive impact on so many people in our community, including his charitable contributions to Children’s Minnesota,” said general manager Bill Guerin after not re-signing him.
Near the end of his career, injuries caught up with Koivu, missing 52 games in his last two seasons with the Wild. He signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets ahead of the 2020-21 season but only played seven games with them before retiring.
“The bottom line is I haven’t been able to get to the level of play that I need to be true to myself and fair to my teammates, so the time is right for me to retire from hockey,” Koivu said.
Wild Retire Koivu’s No. 9
No. 9 is the only jersey hanging from the rafters at the Xcel Energy Center; other than No. 1 for the fans. This is a deserved honor and one he cherishes. “Obviously, it means a lot. A big honor,” Koivu said. “To get an opportunity to play for one team for as long as I did, I think it’s something that I valued a lot. It became home for me.”
He will forever hold a special spot in Wild fans’ hearts.
