Establishing Saku Koivu's legacy in the NHL is a tricky endeavor. His return in 2002 exemplified Koivu's incredible competitive spirit and ability to raise his game when it mattered most. 10 of 30. Koivu's return to play in the 80th game of the 2001-02 regular season, a 4-3 Canadiens win against the Ottawa Senators that clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, remains one of the most emotional moments in team history. Not a subscriber? All rights reserved. 5th all time on the Habs in assists. Most recently in the NHL with Anaheim Ducks. I agree. Sakic, of Burnaby, B.C., is also one of 27 members of the esteemed Triple Gold Club. It would also require the Canadiens to give up another under-30 number in addition to the 14 that are already retired. In both cases, you have a case of nobody being able to be as good or better as you remember your childhood hero being. He was pretty good but not Hall of fame good. by Euh... No. I don't think that he will be a first ballot entry in the HHoF, however is international success might win him a spot. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. His first time back to the Bell Centre and his 2001-02 season debut in the Canadiens 80th game of the year represent two of the most emotional moments in team history. Joe Sakic was one of eight inductees named to the 2017 class of the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame on Sunday. Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. Although I don't think he should be in the HOF (or have his jersey raised) he was a very good player. Selanne and Jari Kurri are the two Finnish players with more career points in the NHL than the 832 Koivu compiled in 1,124 career regular season games. 11 in exchange for another number so Koivu’s could go up into the rafters? It would also require the Canadiens to give up another … He suffered broken bones, was almost blinded by a stick in the 2006 playoffs and beat cancer as a Canadien. We’ll give you the latest news when it becomes available, or feel free to add some more selections to your settings. © Copyright 2020 The Globe and Mail Inc. All rights reserved. He was just a few years removed from his battle with Hodgkin’s Disease, a form of cancer. There isn’t enough recent news in your lineup. Click here to subscribe. Every year the legends are inducted on the medal day of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. The fans serenaded Koivu with chants of "Saku! Joe Sakic, Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu are among those being inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame, the IIHF announced Tuesday. An error has occurred while trying to update your details. His life was saved by the trainer Jim Pizzutelli, who was a former US Army Medic who served in the Vietnam War. After playing in the final three games of the 2001-02 regular season, Koivu had two goals and five assists to lead the Canadiens to a six-game upset victory against the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs before the team bowed out in the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes. You may have created an account with another Rogers Media account that can be used to sign in here. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2019. That was on full display when Koivu battled back from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2001. In his second NHL debut, Lemieux had an assist on his first shift and ended up with a goal and two assists versus the Maple Leafs. Your existing password has not been changed. Buffalo Sabres| Calgary Flames| Eric Lindros| Florida Panthers| Gary Roberts| Hall of Fame| Hockey History| Injury| Mario Lemieux| Montreal Canadiens| Pittsburgh Penguins| Retirements| Saku Koivu| Team Canada| World Cup, Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com, PHR’s 2020 Top 50 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents, Corey Crawford Signs With New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers Re-Sign Philippe Desrosiers, Montreal Canadiens Sign Brendan Gallagher To Six-Year Extension, Winnipeg Jets Agree To Terms With Nelson Nogier. It would indeed require the Canadiens to part with tradition. Enter your email address to get a new one. Former captain Saku Koivu never won a Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens like so many of their great players from the past did, but that should not tarnish his legacy. He founded the Gary Roberts High Performance Centre and Fitness Institute in Ontario, where he trains several high-end athletes including Steven Stamkos and Connor McDavid. He sits 10th on the Canadiens' all-time scoring list with 641 points, and if he played for just about any other franchise Koivu would likely be revered as a legend, one that would see his number hanging from the rafters. You can change your selection at any time. Four months later, the team announced that he would be returning to the lineup. Selanne currently ranks 11th on the NHL’s all-time list for most goals with 684 and 15th in points with 1,457. 4 Olympics Medals and 2 World Championship Medals are great feature. The Hockey Hall of Fame waived the mandatory three-year waiting period and immediately inducted Lemieux. The majority of Montreal Canadiens fans who will read this will have an emotional reaction to asking if Koivu should be in the Hall of Fame at first. Koivu was also beset by injuries throughout the early part of his career, most notably a knee injury in his second season that came at a time he was leading the NHL in scoring with 38 points in 30 games. Welcome to NHL.com, the official site of the National Hockey League, Bienvenue à LNH.com , le site officiel de la Ligue nationale de hockey, Добро пожаловать на NHL.com, официальный сайт Национальной хоккейной лиги, Tervetuloa NHL:n viralliselle nettisivustolle NHL.comiin, Välkommen till NHL.com, NHL:s officiella web-sida, Vítejte na NHL.com, oficiálních stránkách National Hockey League, Vitajte na NHL.com, oficiálnych stránkach National Hockey League, Willkommen auf NHL.com, der offiziellen Seite der National Hockey League, Bienvenido a NHL.com, el sitio oficial de la National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved. But what might be Koivu's greatest accomplishment could be his time as Canadiens captain, with his retirement coinciding with a time where his former job is currently vacant. Press J to jump to the feed. But Koivu had nothing but positives to say about the Canadiens and Montreal as he left town. In light of Eric Lindros’ comments yesterday about former Philadelphia Flyers’ GM Paul Holmgren suggesting he attempt a comeback to the NHL in 2012, five seasons after retiring, let’s take a look at few notable NHLers who did come back after some time away: Richard Zednik and Clint Malarchuk – Zednik and Malarchuk survived two of the scariest on-ice incidents in NHL history. If there is still doubt for Saku to get in the HHOF, you better believe he's nowhere near having his number retired. He scored 229 points in 170 NHL games over the next five seasons, including a 91-point performance in 2002-03, before an irregular heartbeat sidelined him once more. Truth is the Montreal Canadiens had planned to honor former captain Saku Koivu months ago. Koivu, Selanne's countryman, was recognized as part of the first Finnish team ever to win gold at the world championship in 1995 and for his 1,124-game NHL career, which included 10 years as captain of the Montreal Canadiens. Saku Koivu – The longest-tenured captain in Montreal Canadiens history made an unforgettable comeback in the 2001-02 season. He shouldn't have his number retired. Canada's Joe Sakic seen here scoring on Team USA goaltender Mike Richter during the gold medal game at the Winter Olympics in 2002. I've always been the type of person that, when there is a big decision in front of me, I take a lot of time and look at things from different angles and different perspectives. Saku Koivu – The longest-tenured captain in Montreal Canadiens history made an unforgettable comeback in the 2001-02 season. The Habs have over 50 players in the Hockey Hall Of Fame. The annual meeting of the Selection Committee will be held in Toronto on June 26 to select and announce the 2017 inductees.The 2017 Induction Weekend festivities will run from Friday, November 10th through Sunday, November 12th, 2017 culminating with the Induction Celebration on Monday, November 13th, 2017.. By checking this box, I agree to the terms of service and privacy policy of Rogers Media. The Canadiens have already retired 15 numbers, totaling 18 players, and each and every one of them to this point has won at least two Stanley Cups with the team and is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. I don't think it detracts from his greatness any. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. Selanne won one silver and three bronze medals and was named tournament MVP as a 43-year-old in Sochi in 2014, where he won bronze and led Finland with six points in six games. All Rights Reserved. I’m betting that even though Koivu never won a Cup, the legends who did would be honored to share the rafters with him. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, NHL Mascots, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, NHL Power Players name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. Ruggiero was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015. Former Finnish hockey players Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu pose for the camera during an event on the occasion of the induction of new members into the ice hockey hall of fame of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in Cologne, Germany, on May 21, 2017. It is not simply defined by goals and assists, or championships. Koivu is my favourite player ever (and I fucking mean that) but I can help but get a chuckle out of this post. If he had backup or any kind of team around him, he might had a chance. That and his injuries, New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Sign up today to get the best features and analysis from the NHL and beyond. In a book I wrote titled Habs Heroes that chronicles the top 100 players in Canadiens history, Koivu checks in at 41 as the only player in the top 50 not to have won a Stanley Cup for the Canadiens. If you are looking to give feedback on our new site, please send it along to, To view this site properly, enable cookies in your browser. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. I think he should have his number retired for no other reason than what he meant to the team and the city when he was here, but there's no way he makes the HOF. He was part of a team that bought the Penguins to keep them in Pittsburgh in September 2000. In September of 2001, Koivu was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The answer from this corner is an undeniable, unequivocal yes. No hockey player, male or female, has represented Team USA in more games at international competitions than Ruggiero. The Habs have over 50 players in the Hockey Hall Of Fame. Koivu was never an elite talent on the ice, but he overcame cancer and was a classy dude off the ice à la Béliveau which is why I think this question gets brought up as much as it does. But Koivu deserves to have his number retired by the most successful organization in the history of hockey, not for what he accomplished, but for what he represented.

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