Saku Koivu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Saku Koivu
Koivu in 2019
Born	(1974-11-23) November 23, 1974 (age 50) Turku, Finland
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	181 lb (82 kg; 12 st 13 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	TPS Montreal Canadiens Anaheim Ducks
National team	Finland
NHL Draft	21st overall, 1993 Montreal Canadiens
Playing career	1992–2014
Medal record Men's ice hockey Representing  Finland Olympic Games Silver 2006 Turin Bronze 1994 Lillehammer Bronze 1998 Nagano Bronze 2010 Vancouver World Championships Gold 1995 Sweden Silver 1994 Italy Silver 1999 Norway Bronze 2008 Canada World Cup Silver 2004 World Cup of Hockey

Saku Antero Koivu (born 23 November 1974) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Saku started his NHL journey with the Montreal Canadiens in the 1995–96 season. Before that, he played three seasons with TPS in the Finnish SM-liiga.

Koivu was the captain of the Canadiens for ten of his 14 years with the team. This made his time as captain the longest in the team's history, tied with Jean Béliveau. He was also the first European player to be captain for the Canadiens. Saku Koivu was also the captain of the Finnish national men's ice hockey team from 1998 to 2010. He was honored by being added to the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2017.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting in Finland with TPS

Saku Koivu began his professional ice hockey career with TPS in the Finnish SM-liiga in the 1992–93 season. In his first year, he scored 10 points. He also helped TPS win the Kanada-malja championship. The next season, he improved to 53 points.

In the 1994–95 season, Koivu led the league with 73 points. He won several awards that year. These included the Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy for being the top scorer. He also won the Kultainen kypärä award as the best player chosen by other players. The Lasse Oksanen trophy was given to him as the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He then scored 17 points in 13 playoff games. This earned him the Jari Kurri trophy as playoff MVP. He also won his second Kanada-malja trophy with TPS.

Koivu returned to play for TPS during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. He scored 16 points in 20 games during that time.

Time with the Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens picked Saku Koivu in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. He was their first-round pick, 21st overall. After two more seasons with TPS, Koivu joined the Canadiens for the 1995–96 season. In his first NHL year, he was fourth among rookies with 45 points.

The next season, he was playing very well. However, he got a knee injury in December 1996. He missed 32 games but still finished with 56 points in 50 games. Over the next two seasons, Koivu had more leg injuries. Still, he played in over 60 games each year. He scored 57 points in 1997–98 and 44 points in 1998–99.

Koivu being escorted to the penalty box by two referees during his career with the Montreal Canadiens

On September 30, 1999, Koivu was named the 27th captain for the Canadiens. He was the first European-born captain in the team's history. His first season as captain was cut short. He had a dislocated shoulder and then another knee injury. This limited him to only 24 games, where he scored 21 points. In the 2000–01 season, he missed 28 more games due to knee surgery. He still managed to get 47 points.

After six seasons in the NHL, Koivu was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma on September 6, 2001. This is a type of cancer. He missed almost the entire 2001–02 season. Fans sent him many messages of support. Other hockey players who had beaten cancer, like Mario Lemieux, also reached out to him.

Zdeno Chára and Saku Koivu

Koivu made an amazing comeback for the last few games of the season. Fans gave him an eight-minute standing ovation when he skated onto the ice on April 9, 2002. Koivu helped the team make it to the playoffs. They even beat the top-ranked Boston Bruins. For his bravery and leadership during his cancer treatment, he won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy after the 2002 playoffs. In the 2002–03 season, he scored a career-best 71 points.

In the 2003–04 season, Koivu had more knee problems and missed 13 games. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, he played for TPS in Finland again. When the NHL started again in 2005–06, Koivu returned to the Canadiens. He scored 62 points in 72 games. On April 26, 2006, during a playoff game, Koivu got a serious eye injury. He had surgery and had to wear a larger visor after that.

Even with the eye injury, Koivu continued to play well. On January 9, 2007, he reached 500 points in his NHL career. He finished the 2006–07 season with a new career-high of 75 points. He also won the King Clancy Trophy for his work with the Saku Koivu Foundation, which helps fight cancer. In March 2008, NHL.com listed Koivu as one of the ten best captains of all time. He finished the 2007–08 season with 56 points. In the 2008 playoffs, he played with a broken foot and still got 9 points in 7 games.

Koivu faces off with Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks in 2009

On October 18, 2008, Koivu moved up to seventh on the Canadiens' all-time assists list. He passed Maurice "Rocket" Richard. He reached another milestone with his 600th career point on October 20, 2008.

Joining the Anaheim Ducks

After the 2008–09 season, Koivu had been captain for ten years. This tied him with Jean Béliveau for the longest time as captain in Canadiens history. Koivu left the Canadiens after 14 years. On July 8, 2009, he signed with the Anaheim Ducks. He played alongside his countryman, Teemu Selänne. Koivu was named an alternate captain for the Ducks. He played his first game for Anaheim on October 3, 2009.

Koivu continued to play well for the Ducks. He had his seventh straight season with 50 points or more in 2009–10. He then signed for two more seasons with the Ducks. On January 22, 2011, Koivu returned to Montreal to play against the Canadiens. Fans gave him a standing ovation.

On March 12, 2012, Koivu played in his 1,000th career NHL game. He signed another one-year contract with the Ducks on July 4, 2013. On October 24, 2013, Koivu returned to Montreal again. He received another standing ovation in what would be his last game at the Bell Centre. In the 2013–14 season, Koivu played in 65 games and scored 29 points. On June 19, 2014, the Ducks announced they would not offer him a new contract. On September 10, 2014, Saku Koivu announced he was retiring from the NHL after 18 seasons.

International Play for Finland

Koivu at the 2008 IIHF World Championship

Saku Koivu played for Finland many times. He was the national team's captain from 1998 to 2010. He won a silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics. He also won bronze medals at the 1994, 1998, and 2010 Winter Olympics. He was part of the 2004 World Cup of Hockey team that won silver.

Koivu's biggest success with Finland was at the 1995 IIHF World Championship. Finland won their first gold medal in that tournament. Koivu played on a famous line with Jere Lehtinen and Ville Peltonen. They were all chosen as tournament all-stars. Koivu often played with Selänne and Lehtinen. This trio was very important to Finland's success in many big events.

On February 23, 2006, Koivu was chosen by other Olympic athletes to be a member of the Athletes' Commission for the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Personal Life

Saku Koivu was born in Turku, Finland, on November 23, 1974. His younger brother, Mikko, was also a professional ice hockey player. Mikko played for the Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Saku Koivu and his wife Hanna have two children. Their daughter, Ilona, was born in 2004. Their son, Aatos, was born in 2006. Aatos was drafted by the Canadiens in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

In 2008, the band Simple Plan featured Koivu in their music video for the song "Save You." The song was about fighting cancer. Koivu was one of several cancer survivors who appeared in the video.

Awards and Honors

SM-liiga Awards

• Kanada-malja – 1993, 1995
• Kultainen kypärä award – 1995
• Jari Kurri trophy – 1995
• Lasse Oksanen trophy – 1995
• Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy – 1995
• President's Trophy – 1999

NHL Awards

• Voted to the NHL All-Star Game by 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
• Longest-serving captain in Canadiens history (tied with Jean Béliveau)

International Awards

• 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
• 1998 Winter Olympics top scorer (tied with Teemu Selänne)
• 2006 Winter Olympics Tournament All-Star
• 2006 Winter Olympics top scorer (tied with Teemu Selänne)
• Captain of Finland national team – 1998–2010
• Inducted into IIHF Hall of Fame (2017)

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1992	Finland	EJC18	4th		6	3	5	8	18
1993	Finland	WJC	5th		7	1	8	9	6
1993	Finland	WC	7th		6	0	1	1	2
1994	Finland	WJC	4th		7	3	6	9	12
1994	Finland	OG			8	4	3	7	12
1994	Finland	WC			8	5	6	11	4
1995	Finland	WC			8	5	5	10	18
1996	Finland	WCH	QF		4	1	3	4	4
1997	Finland	WC	5th		6	2	2	4	2
1998	Finland	OG			6	2	8	10	4
1999	Finland	WC			10	4	12	16	4
2003	Finland	WC	5th		7	1	10	11	4
2004	Finland	WCH			6	3	1	4	2
2006	Finland	OG			8	3	8	11	12
2008	Finland	WC			6	0	3	3	4
2010	Finland	OG			6	0	2	2	6
Junior totals					20	7	19	26	36
Senior totals					89	30	64	94	78

See Also

• List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
• List of family relations in the National Hockey League
• List of Olympic medalist families