Saku Koivu

Saku Antero Koivu (born November 23, 1974 in Turku, Finland) is a former Finnish professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1995–96 after three seasons with TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga. Koivu served as the Canadiens' captain for nine of his thirteen seasons with the club (not including the locked-out 2004–05 season), which makes his the second longest captaincy tenure in team history after Jean Béliveau. Koivu was the first European to captain the Montreal Canadiens.

Saku Koivu
Born (1974-11-23) 23 November 1974
Turku, FIN
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 178 lb (81 kg; 12 st 10 lb)
Position Center
Shot Left
NHL team
Former teams
Anaheim Ducks
Montreal Canadiens
TPS (SM-liiga)
National team  Finland
NHL Draft 21st overall, 1993
Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 19922014

On September 6, 2001, Koivu was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma, a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and he nearly all of the 2001–02 season. After he had been suffering serious pains in his stomach and was vomiting went to see the Canadiens' physician David Mulder, who, after many tests discovered the cancer. He was expected to miss the season but he made a comeback in time for the last few games. The fans gave Koivu an eight-minute standing ovation when he skated onto the Molson Centre ice for the first time on April 9, 2002.[1] For both his courage and his off-ice team leadership while he was undergoing cancer treatment, Koivu was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy following the 2002 playoffs.

Awards and honors

SM-liiga

  • Kultainen kypärä award (Players choice for the best player) - 1995
  • Jari Kurri trophy (Best player in playoffs) - 1995
  • Lasse Oksanen trophy (Most valuable player) - 1995
  • Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy (Most points in regular season) - 1995
  • President's Trophy - 1999

NHL

  • Voted to the NHL All-Star Game by the fans - 1998, 2003 (did not play due to injury)
  • Bill Masterton Trophy - 2002
  • King Clancy Memorial Trophy - 2007
  • First ever European-born captain of the Montreal Canadiens - 1999-2009

International

  • Ice Hockey World Championships Tournament All-Star - 1994, 1995, 1999
  • Ice Hockey World Championships Tournament's Best Forward - 1995, 1999
  • Ice Hockey World Championships Tournament's Top scorer - 1999
  • Finnish Ice hockey player of the year - 1994, 1995
  • Turin 2006 Winter Olympics - Tournament All-Star
  • Turin 2006 Winter Olympics - Top scorer
  • Captain of Team Finland - 1998-2010

Career statistics

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM +/– GP G A Pts PIM
1992–93TPSSM-L46371028-511325 2
1993–94TPSSM-L4723305342+2711481216
1994–95TPSSM-L4527477473+33137101716
1995–96Montreal CanadiensNHL8220254540-763148
1996–97Montreal CanadiensNHL5017395638+7513410
1997–98Montreal CanadiensNHL6914435748+862352
1998–99Montreal CanadiensNHL6514304438-7
1999–00Montreal CanadiensNHL243182114+7
2000–01Montreal CanadiensNHL5417304740+2
2001–02Montreal CanadiensNHL3022001246104
2002–03Montreal CanadiensNHL8221507172+5
2003–04Montreal CanadiensNHL6814415552-511381110
2004–05TPSSM-l20881628+11632530
2005–06Montreal CanadiensNHL7217456270+130222
2006–07Montreal CanadiensNHL8122537574-21
2007–08Montreal CanadiensNHL7716405693-473694
2008–09Montreal CanadiensNHL6516345044+440332
2009–10Anaheim DucksNHL7119335236+14
2010–11Anaheim DucksNHL7515304536-861676
2011–12Anaheim DucksNHL7411273850+7
2012–13Anaheim DucksNHL478192718+471236
2013–14Anaheim DucksNHL6511182946+3130118
NHL totals1124255577832809+10 8018415962
SM-L totals1586192153171+664117223964

International

Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing  Finland
Olympic Games
1994 Lillehammer
1998 Nagano
2006 Turin
2010 Vancouver
World Championships
1994 Italy
1995 Sweden
1999 Norway
2008 Canada
World Cup
2004 World Cup of Hockey
Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
1993FinlandWC60112
1994FinlandOLY 843712
1994FinlandWC 856114
1995FinlandWC8551018
1996FinlandWCH41344
1997FinlandWC62242
1998FinlandOLY 628104
1999FinlandWC 10412164
2003FinlandWC7110114
2004FinlandWCH 63142
2006FinlandOLY 8381112
2008FinlandWC 60334
2010FinlandOLY 60226
WC totals5117395638
OLY totals289213034
WCH totals104486
Int'l totals8930649478

References

Other websites


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