"We are extremely excited to announce that Mikko Koivu will be the first player in team history to have his jersey retired," said Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold. "Mikko did so many great things for our organization on the ice and in our community during his 15-year career here. He truly deserves this honor and I look forward to celebrating this historic moment with his family and all our passionate fans at Xcel Energy Center on March 13."
He recorded 711 points (206-505=711), 594 penalty minutes (PIM) and a plus-68 rating in 1,035 games during 16 seasons in the NHL (2005-21). Koivu is the franchise's all-time leader in games played (1,028), assists (504), points (709), plus/minus rating (plus-70), shots on goal (2,270), power-play points (251), power-play assists (191), shorthanded points (25), shorthanded assists (15), multi-point games (153), face-offs won (10,354), face-offs taken (19,290), shootout attempts (107), shootout goals (42), game deciding goals (18) and playoff games played (59). He ranks second in team history in goals (205), power-play goals (60), shorthanded goals (10), penalty minutes (592), playoff points (28) and playoff assists (17), T-2nd in overtime goals (5) and third in game-winning goals (33).
"No one worked harder than Mikko during his time with the Minnesota Wild," said Wild General Manger Bill Guerin. "He was a fiery competitor and a fantastic captain both on and off the ice. Mikko is the franchise leader in so many categories, but the impact he made in our community and the connections he made with Wild fans, will live on forever. We look forward to sharing this special honor with Mikko and all of our great fans on March 13."
Koivu was drafted by the Wild with the sixth overall selection in the 2001 NHL Draft on June 23, 2001 at National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida. He played the next three seasons with TPS Turku in Finland's Elite League before coming to North America. Koivu spent the 2004-05 season with the Houston Aeros in the American Hockey League. He made his NHL debut on Nov. 5, 2005 at San Jose and scored his first NHL goal on Nov. 6, 2005 against Jean-Sebastien Giguere at Anaheim. Koivu was named the first full-time team captain in team history on Oct. 20, 2009. After 15 seasons with the Wild he signed as a free agent with Columbus on Oct. 10, 2020, and played in seven games with the Blue Jackets before announcing his retirement on Feb. 9, 2021.
Being an active member of the community, and giving back to those in need, has always been a big part of Koivu's life. From supporting children's medical initiatives in Finland to the October 2011 announcement that he was sponsoring two private patient rooms in the Neuroscience and Epilepsy Center at Children's Minnesota in Saint Paul, Koivu has always had a big impact in his community. He continues to live in the Twin Cities and is a member of Children's Foundation Board.
Mikko Koivu Career Notes:
