Saku Koivu News & Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

Ducks bring back Koivu on one-year, $3M deal

May 10

Orange County Register

"The Ducks have re-signed veteran center Saku Koivu to a one-year contract, the team announced Wednesday. Koivu, 37, has spent the last three seasons with the club after playing his first 13 in Montreal, most of which was spent as the Canadiens' captain. He had 11 goals and 27 assists in 74 games with the Ducks last season. Both sides wanted to continue the relationship after Koivu finished up a two-year contract worth $2.5 million for each season. The new deal is worth $3 million for 2012-13 and includes some bonuses, one of which includes games played."

Saku Koivu's 1,000-game career filled with moments he'll never forget

March 13

Montreal Gazette

"So is this, Saku Koivu wondered at the end of his 1995-96 rookie season in the National Hockey League, what hockey is all about in Montreal? Koivu had arrived for Canadiens training camp that autumn, a 20-year-old making his first trip to Montreal, never having seen an NHL game live. He made the club, and then all hell broke loose. Stumbling out of the gate with four losses, the Habs fired head coach Jacques Demers. In came assistant Jacques Laperrière for one game, to be replaced full time by Mario Tremblay, who had not one game of NHL coaching experience. Swept out with Demers by president Ronald Corey was GM Serge Savard, replaced by management novice Réjean Houle."

Saku Koivu's goals do the trick for Ducks

January 11

Los Angeles Times

"A few weeks ago, the Ducks would have lost this game to the Dallas Stars. They had given up a two-goal lead in the third period, awakening thoughts of their many lapses during the first half of a season that has all but slipped away from them, and another loss probably would not have mattered. After a lot of soul-searching and a threat from General Manager Bob Murray that just about everyone was available in the trade market, the Ducks woke up. On Tuesday, led by Saku Koivu's second career hat trick, they shrugged off the Stars' comeback and pushed forward to a 5-2 win at Honda Center, ending a dismal first half of the season with a three-game winning streak and budding confidence."

Ducks GM says big changes could take place, only Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu are safe

January 5

Los Angeles Times

"Angered by his team's continued wretched play, Ducks General Manager Bob Murray said he's prepared to make dramatic changes and underscored his point by saying only Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu are not available in trades. Both veteran forwards have no-trade clauses. But if Selanne were to ask to be traded to a Stanley Cup contender Murray surely wouldn't stand in his way, though Murray still wants Selanne to retire as a Duck. "And the rest of the players in that locker room, I thought they'd figure out when we changed coaches that time was running, the clock was running quickly here. And I don't care who you talked about," Murray said, referring to his dismissal of Coach Randy Carlyle on"

What happens if Koivu wins Game 5 faceoff?

April 27

Orange County Register

columnist Randy Youngman

"What if? Have you played that game lately? There is less than a minute left in Game 5 on Friday night at Honda Center, with the Ducks clinging to a one-goal lead over the Nashville Predators. The standing-room-only crowd is on its feet and yelling, already celebrating the Ducks seizing a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 playoff series. The Nashville net is unguarded. The scoreboard clock is flashing 0:38.6 as Ducks center Saku Koivu prepares to take the faceoff against Predators center Mike Fisher in the circle to the right of Ducks goalie Ray Emery. If Koivu wins the faceoff, the puck will soon be rifled to the other end of the ice and all but extinguish the Predators' hopes. Except Fisher, who"

Koivu's faceoffs key to Ducks victory

March 21

Orange County Register

columnist Mark Whicker

"The lesson of Sunday night was that 3-0 leads don't matter. Losing 3-0 leads doesn't matter. Bobby Ryan's penalty shot doesn't matter. Bobby Ryan getting a penalty shot stuffed doesn't matter. You measure this stuffed elevator of a Western Conference race in centimeters gained, seconds saved. Because Saku Koivu won three faceoffs for the Ducks, they had enough time to tie Calgary when he finally didn't win one. Because Ryan Getzlaf won a faceoff in overtime and kicked the puck over to the waiting Toni Lydman, the Ducks were able to beat Calgary, 5-4, in overtime. Four seconds after the penalty shot, Lydman shot and Corey Perry scored, unbeknownst to him, since he was being hauled down by"

Saku Koivu nearly sabotages Ducks in Montreal homecoming

January 23

Montreal Gazette

"Saku Koivu's homecoming wasn't quite what he had in mind. Koivu, who was playing in Montreal for the first time since the Canadiens let him become a free agent on July 1, 2009, was sitting in the penalty box when Max Pacioretty scored with 12.6 seconds to play in regulation time. That pulled the Canadiens even with the Anaheim Ducks at 3-3, but Koivu and the Ducks had their happy ending when Bobby Ryan scored the lone goal in the shootout for a 4-3 victory. Koivu picked up an assist on Corey Perry's power-play goal, which gave the Ducks a 3-1 lead at 19:43 of the second period. Carey Price made the stop on Koivu's shot from the high slot, but Perry scored on the rebound for his 25th goal"

Emotional Montreal trip for Ducks' Saku Koivu

January 22

Los Angeles Times

columnist Helene Elliott

"Saku Koivu was stoic while he fought cancer and while defending himself against critics who thought the captain of the Montreal Canadiens should immerse himself more deeply in the city's culture and speak fluent French.But on Friday, back in the city where he matured as a hockey player and a man and was celebrated for his strength and courage, the Ducks center grew emotional while discussing Saturday's game, his first in Montreal since he left as a free agent in 2009."When we landed today it felt like I was coming home. It felt really comfortable, like it had been a week ago that we left," he said during a news conference that was carried on Montreal radio and TV stations and preserved on"

Koivu set to make Montreal return as member of the Ducks

January 21

TSN.ca

"In the storied history of the Montreal Canadiens only two men have served as captain for as many as ten seasons. Jean Beliveau was the first when he wore the C from 1961 until he retired after the 1971 season. The second was Saku Koivu, who captained the Canadiens from 1999 until 2009. Now a member of the Anaheim Ducks, Koivu will return to the Bell Centre on Friday for the first time since moving west and inking a two-year deal with the California club. Though he loved his time in Montreal, Koivu is aware of how strange it will be walking into his old home. "I used that facility for so long and it's a very familiar place but now being on the visiting team, an opponent, it's going to feel"

Koivu, McElhinney give Ducks five in row

November 11

L.A. Daily News

"Saku Koivu looked around expecting some kind of pressure and shielded the puck with his body about 10 feet in front of his own net. All he saw was a wide-open sheet of ice. Just when the New York Islanders thought it was safe not to pressure the puck, a beautiful play emerged from an ugly game. Koivu started a rush the other way, got the puck back from rookie defenseman Cam Fowler, and finished with the game's only goal, a one-timer past Dwayne Roloson with 3:40 elapsed in the third period. Koivu's sixth goal of the season gave backup goalie Curtis McElhinney his first NHL shutout on a 27-save effort. The 1-0 win atoned for an uninspired 14-shot effort by the Ducks in front of 14,393 at"

Ducks' Koivu happy; Selanne to follow?

July 3

Orange County Register

columnist Eric Stephens

"Saku Koivu expressed his happiness in working out a deal to remain with the Ducks and believes that they will be a team that can compete with any other in the coming 2010-11 NHL season. But while he addressed his choice to stay in Anaheim rather than pursue offers elsewhere, Koivu also covered the one question that many in hockey are wondering - will his presence help bring back good friend Teemu Selanne for another season? The signals emanating from Finland are good. "We spent quite a bit of time (together) after the season in California," Koivu said Friday on a conference call from his off-season home. "And I know that Teemu was working out already when he and his family were there. I"

Ducks sign Koivu to two-year deal

July 2

Orange County Register

"It looks like the signing of Finnish defenseman Toni Lydman may have had a ripple effect as the Ducks re-signed center Saku Koivu to a two-year deal worth $5 million. A source confirmed that the deal is worth $2.5 million each season. With Koivu now in the fold, could that mean that Teemu Selanne isn't far behind? Lydman played with Koivu and Selanne for Team Finland in the last two Winter Olympics. Koivu had 19 goals and 52 assists in his first season with the Ducks after spending many years in Montreal as the Canadiens' captain. UPDATE: Ducks GM Bob Murray said he did not discuss the captaincy with Koivu during negotiations and added that the club would wait until training camp until"

Koivu's clear first choice is to stay

April 13

Orange County Register

"Few would question Saku Koivu if he decided to weigh any contract offers that could come in from any Stanley Cup-contending teams that view the veteran playmaker as a final piece to a championship puzzle. Given that the Ducks are cleaning out their lockers this week instead of preparing for a playoff series, it would be hard to blame Koivu for wanting to see what else is out there when his contract officially expires on July 1. But the 35-year-old center was emphatic about working toward an extension before that date arrives. "Obviously now we have until the end of June to hopefully get it done here," Koivu said. "That's our first priority. We'd love to stay and come back. Obviously right"

Koivu's winner keep Ducks in play a bit longer

April 4

Orange County Register

"With some late heroics for the second consecutive night, Saku Koivu made sure the Ducks still have something to play for in the season's final week. Koivu's power-play goal with 1:32 left in regulation got the Ducks into overtime against the Kings and then the veteran center delivered the only score in the shootout to lift his club to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory Saturday night at Staples Center. "It's an exciting spot to be in. Especially when they didn't score at all," Koivu said. "I had a chance to put the game away and luckily I got the goal." The Ducks (38-31-9) are four points out of the final playoff spot held by Colorado. Like he did Friday, Koivu again delivered the tying goal"

Koivu's season not way he envisioned it

March 25

Orange County Register

"Sitting out the Stanley Cup playoffs wasn't something Saku Koivu had in mind when he signed on with the Ducks as a free agent last summer after a long run as the face of the Montreal Canadiens. That wasn't the plan. The plan was to join forces with Teemu Selanne, create an explosive second scoring line to complement the club's young scoring stars and take a reasonable shot at hoisting the silver chalice that has thus far eluded his grasp. So much for the plan. The Ducks are staring at a long summer and just as Koivu is feeling like he's been here for several years instead of several months, the 35-year-old center can again become a free agent on July 1 when his one-year deal expires."

Ducks' Koivu eager to return

January 26

Orange County Register

"It didn't take long for ol' No. 11 to find himself in his customary spot after making his way to the South to join his mates. Saku Koivu was on the ice at Philips Arena on Monday, skating briskly between linemates Bobby Ryan and Dan Sexton before joining everyone in conditioning drills that he appeared to handle with ease. From the time he sprained his right knee on Jan. 14 against the Kings, the Ducks have targeted their second-line center's return for Tuesday night's game against the Atlanta Thrashers. And the way the 35-year-old looked on the ice, it appears he's right on schedule. Koivu said the knee feels "pretty good" after five days of skating, four of which were on his own in"

Koivu suffers sprained knee

January 16

Orange County Register

"The Ducks have lost a star Finnish player to injury for the second time in as many days. Center Saku Koivu suffered a sprained knee Thursday night, the team said late Friday. A timetable for his return was not immediately known, but recovery from a sprained knee can typically take 2-6 weeks, depending on the severity. Koivu left Thursday's game in the second period when he got tangled up with a Kings player following a faceoff. He did not return. The injury is the latest blow to the Ducks' offense, which lost Teemu Selanne to a broken jaw on Wednesday. Selanne was just three games into his comeback from a broken hand injury that took him out of the lineup for five weeks. Koivu had been on"

Selanne's return put at two to six weeks; Koivu hurt too

January 15

Los Angeles Times

"The timetable for Ducks forward Teemu Selanne's return after surgery to repair two broken bones in his jaw is two to six weeks, the Ducks announced Thursday. That leaves his fifth Olympics appearance for Finland in question, but still a possibility. Finland's first game in Vancouver is Feb. 17 against Belarus -- five weeks from the date of Selanne's injury. The Ducks have 14 games remaining before the Olympic break, and won't play after that until March 3, seven weeks after Selanne's injury. The surgery on Selanne's jaw was performed Thursday by team oral surgeon Jeffrey Pulver at St. Joseph's Hospital in Orange. The timing of Selanne's return might depend on whether he is cleared to play"

Ducks enjoy Koivu's work in win

January 6

Orange County Register

"Leading by example is something Saku Koivu has done throughout his career, and the Ducks appreciate that in his first season with the team. If only they could bottle the effort Koivu displayed Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings and use that every time out in their desperate bid to stay in the playoff picture. Koivu's shorthanded score — the 200th goal of his career — got his team going, while Matt Beleskey followed with his first in the NHL and Corey Perry added some insurance in a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at Honda Center. The Ducks (17-19-7) started fast and stayed focused and determined in stopping a three-game losing streak. Nowhere was it displayed more than the"

Koivu nets his 200th career goal in win

January 6

Orange County Register

"Leading by example is something Saku Koivu has done throughout his career, and the Ducks appreciate that in his first season with the team. If only they could bottle the effort Koivu displayed Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings and use that every time out in their desperate bid to stay in the playoff picture. Koivu's shorthanded score — the 200th goal of his career — got his team going, while Matt Beleskey followed with his first in the NHL and Corey Perry added some insurance in a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at Honda Center. The Ducks (17-19-7) started fast and stayed focused and determined in stopping a three-game losing streak. Nowhere was it displayed more than the"

Koivu picking up the pace

December 18

Orange County Register

"Once he signed with the Ducks this past summer, Saku Koivu no longer was expected to carry a team offensively or be the official spokesman night after night through the ups and downs of a season. Or learn French for that matter. But Koivu was expected to be the solution to what had become a black hole for the Ducks - the No. 2 center position. For all his tenacity on the ice and quiet leadership off it, the former longtime Montreal Canadiens captain wasn't delivering the kind of production necessary for a second-line pivot. Entering Thursday night's game against the San Jose Sharks, Koivu has three goals and four assists in the past four games with multi-point efforts in three of them."

Koivu leads Ducks to victory in Vancouver

December 17

Orange County Register

"Saku Koivu is finally producing, Dan Sexton keeps delivering and the Ducks are showing that they might have a legitimate second scoring line. Koivu's power-play goal with 4:13 remaining lifted the Ducks to a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday at General Motors Place on a night when his line again led the way. The Ducks (13-13-7) still sit in the Pacific Division basement and are tied with St. Louis for the fewest points in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. But they've now won three of their last four and have points in six consecutive games to reach .500. "In this situation we're in right now, every win is important," said Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller, who made 28"

Wisniewski, Eminger, Lupul did not practice Friday, Koivu could return Saturday

November 21

Orange County Register

"Sifting through the walking wounded in the Ducks locker room with some quick hits from Friday's practice … Defenseman James Wisniewski (bruised foot) and Steve Eminger (back spasms) did not practice as the Ducks only skated five defensemen. Wisniewski said his foot swelled up and "turned into like a hematoma" after he was struck in Thursday's game but said it is much better today and he will test it out Saturday morning to see if he can play against San Jose. "Hopefully with some more treatment, just ice it all day and I'll definitely try to play tomorrow," he said. Eminger will also take a day and see how he feels tomorrow. Coach Randy Carlyle said he will wait to see if the club needs to"

Koivu injury leaves Christensen in limbo

November 14

Orange County Register

"Excuse Ducks forward Erik Christensen if it seems like he's checking on Saku Koivu and his strained groin muscle on an hourly basis. "I'm going to check on him at 6:30," Christensen said jokingly. It has come to that for Christensen, who was literally out of the team's plans when he was put on waivers Nov. 2. Nine days later, the five-year veteran found himself centering the second line when Koivu pulled up lame before Wednesday's loss to New Jersey. Christensen got an encore Friday night against Columbus as Koivu remains day-to-day. But while he has remained with the Ducks since he hit the waiver wire, there are no illusions that he's suddenly part of their future. "I think I'm"

Koivu enjoying sound of silence in Anaheim

September 19

Montreal Gazette

"I see where Saku Koivu is all smiles since joining his new team in Anaheim. Seems that when Saku skated with his new friends for the first time "the silence was broken only by the occasional blast of a whistle or the crunch of blades biting into the ice," wrote Los Angeles Times columnist Helene Elliott. "Had this been Montreal, where he spent 13 seasons and united a sometimes-fractured city in admiration of his victory over non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the stands would have been jammed with reporters and photographers interested in the million issues that percolate around the Canadiens." Said Koivu: "It is different. Like today, here it felt good. You can just be among your teammates and have"

Koivu happy to team up with old friend and linemate Selanne

September 18

Vancouver Province

"Two Finnish reporters have been here the last five days documenting Saku Koivu's escape from the Montreal microscope to Disneyland's doorstep. Two additional scribes recorded his reunion with countryman Teemu Selanne and the pre-game scrum Thursday was so small that Koivu sported an understandable and effortless smile. Not quite like those Bell Centre clusters cramming his corner of the dressing room. "Yeah, there would be a few more — anywhere from 15 to 25 reporters," chuckled Koivu, 34, who signed a one-year, $3.25 free-agent deal with the Ducks on July 8 once it was clear the Canadiens were cleaning house by jettisoning their coach and 11 unrestricted free agents. "Right now, it feels"

Selanne, Koivu take Anaheim over Montreal

July 18

Orange County Register

columnist Randy Youngman

"Teemu Selanne for NHL Executive of the Year! That was my first thought upon hearing the Ducks had signed longtime Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu to fill their recent void of a proven second-line center. After all, Selanne and Koivu have been longtime friends and linemates on Finnish national teams that have competed in the Winter Olympics and World Championships over the past decade. So how much arm-twisting did you have to do, Teemu? "It wasn't like that," a laughing Selanne said this week, by phone from his summer home in Helsinki, Finland, upon returning from a weeklong family vacation in Spain. "We've been talking and joking about this (playing together in the NHL) for a long"

Saku Koivu respectfully declines

July 9

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"There was nothing the Wild could have done to sweeten the pot -- Saku Koivu just wasn't comfortable playing in Minnesota alongside younger brother Mikko Koivu. "I kind of felt that Minnesota's Mikko's place at this point," said Saku Koivu, the longtime Montreal Canadiens captain who opted for less money and security than Minnesota could have provided by signing a one-year, $3.25 million deal Wednesday with the Anaheim Ducks. "I wanted him to have his own privacy in a way and make his own name and career. I just felt there were too many risks for us as brothers ... to join on the same team and kind of compete for the same ice time." According to sources, Koivu turned down a two-year deal"

Ducks land veteran center Saku Koivu

July 9

Los Angeles Times

"Family harmony came first and last for Saku Koivu. So much so that he opted for a less lucrative deal with the Ducks, worrying that his presence in Minnesota could overshadow his brother Mikko. Not would. But could. Just the hint of that possibility had the longtime Montreal Canadiens captain signing a one-year contract worth $3.25 million, joining his Finnish countryman and friend, Teemu Selanne. It was a seminal moment for Koivu. The 34-year-old free-agent center spent his entire NHL career with the Canadiens, and his departure signals a change in organizational philosophy in Montreal that he knew was coming. General Manager Bob Gainey had talked about "the business decision" before the"

Habs captain Koivu flies off to join Ducks

July 9

Toronto Star

"Playing in Montreal wasn't always easy but Saku Koivu says he enjoyed every minute of being a Canadien. Still, hockey is a business and when it became clear the Canadiens were not going to offer him a new contract this season he had no option but to sign a one-year deal worth $3.25 million (all figures U.S.) with the Anaheim Ducks. "I enjoyed every moment there," Koivu said in a telephone conference call from Finland. "It's a great place to play hockey. Not an easy place always, but a very interesting place. "I think and I know I'm a better person after these years. I've learned a lot from Montreal. I will never forget the years I spent there." Koivu took a cut in salary to join the Ducks."

Ducks land free-agent center Koivu

July 8

Orange County Register

"The Ducks are set to announce shortly the signing of unrestricted free-agent center Saku Koivu to a one-year, $3.25 million contract. Koivu, captain of the Montreal Canadiens the past nine seasons, will be reunited in Anaheim with his longtime friend and Finnish national team linemate, Teemu Selanne. Koivu, 34, earned $4.75 million each of the past two seasons. He became available when the Canadiens undertook a dramatic off-season re-tooling plan. Koivu is coming off a season in which he finished as Montreal's third-leading scorer with 50 points, including 16 goals, in 65 games. He averaged 17 minutes, three seconds of ice time and was plus-4."

Adding Mikko Koivu's brother, Saku, is Wild's only answer at center

July 3

St. Paul Pioneer Press

columnist Tom Powers

"It's Saku Koivu or bust. The Wild desperately need a quality center. The last one available via free agency is Saku Koivu. That's it. There are no other options. Chuck Fletcher has to outmaneuver about a dozen other general managers bidding for Koivu's services. So he really needs to be creative in coming up with perks to lure Koivu to Minnesota. He could promise: # Reindeer in the Xcel vending machines. # A Finns-only sauna to keep the riffraff out. # Six regularly scheduled "Kick a Swede" promotions. # Time off for the Jalometalli Music Festival. # Cheerful Whooper Swan patches on Wild helmets. Fletcher is aware that it's Koivu or bust, although he doesn't put it in quite such dire"

Wild waiting on decision from Saku Koivu

July 3

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"One day after signing winger Martin Havlat to a six-year, $30 million deal, General Manager Chuck Fletcher spent much of Thursday trying to fill another significant hole in the Wild's lineup. Fletcher said "negotiations are ongoing with Saku" Koivu, the decorated older brother of Wild center Mikko Koivu. But according to sources, the deal appeared to be heading south fast after the team believed Koivu-to-Minnesota was a lock Wednesday night. "We've expressed some interest. I think a lot of teams have expressed interest," Fletcher said. "He's a great hockey player and there aren't a lot of centermen in the market place, so I'd be stunned if 10 or 15 teams haven't reached out to him by this"