For Koivu, stoppage leaves far more questions than answers

The questions surrounding the potential return of the NHL far outweigh the answers more than a month after the League, along with virtually every other sport, either hit pause or cancelled their seasons outright.

The same can be said for Mikko Koivu.

The Wild captain, who was seemingly playing his best hockey of the season in the weeks before the season was put on hiatus, is in the final year of his contract with Minnesota.

If the season is eventually cancelled, it's certainly possible that his NHL career could be over. If so, it would be an unprecedented, stunning -- and unfortunate -- ending for the most decorated player in franchise history.

"I think for myself, I'm just trying to stay in the moment as much as I can," Koivu said via a conference call with media on Wednesday. "If I [said] I haven't thought about all the options ... I'd be lying to you. I think a lot of things, a lot of options and what the future might hold. But I think as of right now, I'm in a boat like any other player just trying to wait for the League to make a decision."

Koivu said he remains optimistic that the season will resume at some point. But even that oscillates day to day.

"I think there are days where you're more confident that we'll get back on the ice, and of course, there's days where it doesn't seem that's going to happen" Koivu said. "I think as players, we're in the same boat as [the media is]. I think our information is what you guys have, and at the moment, just trying to follow, not just hockey, but all over the world ... to see if we're getting any closer and what are the steps.

"But there are so many questions right now that it is impossible to give you an answer on that on whether we'll be back or not."

Of course, it's entirely possible Koivu decides to continue his NHL career.

Coming off a knee injury that cost him the the final two months of the 2018-19 campaign, Koivu didn't score his first goal until the 11th game of the season.

In his 1,000th NHL game on Dec. 1, he had an assist and scored the deciding goal in the shootout, but two days later, he sustained a lower-body injury that cost him most of the month.

But as the season wore on, Koivu appeared to gain steam. Over the final eight games before the pause, Koivu scored two goals, recorded four assists and was also a plus-3.

"When you get to this age, you've gotta look at everything," Koivu said of the factors he will weigh when deciding his future. "I think you've gotta enjoy the game, and I still do, but I think physically, you've gotta to be at the level you want to be. Mentally, that's probably the biggest part of it that you gotta be ready to do it.

"I think every single question you can think of as a player, I think you have to [look at it] and go through what's the best thing for you to do. But I don't think the time, as of right now ... you've gotta weigh what happens. I don't think it's possible to do it before that."

Regardless of what his future may hold, Koivu admitted that the prospect of beginning and ending his career with one organization would weigh heavily into the decision.

Drafted sixth overall by the Wild in 2001, Koivu debuted with the club in 2005, was named the first full-time captain of the team in 2009 and in December, became just the 55th player in NHL history to play the first 1,000 games of his career with one club.

"Of course, and if it didn't it would be wrong," Koivu said. "It's something that, for sure, matters to me."

Koivu addressed what it would mean for him and the team to get another chance at the postseason as well. When the season stopped, Minnesota was just one point out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Wild had won seven of its previous 10 and was coming off a West Coast swing in which it had won two of three.

"Just yesterday, I was thinking about the season a little bit," Koivu said. "I was talking to [former Wild player] Brian Rolston, and if you just look at how the season started for us, where we were after 10 or so games, and you climb back. You could see the confidence we had coming off that road trip in California. I think we were feeling really good about our chances to get in."

If the season does resume at some point this spring or summer, the growing consensus seems to be that it would have to come in empty arenas. Whether teams would be able to play in their own home stadiums, or if the League would have to centralized locations, are also among decisions that will need to be figured out in the coming weeks.

Regardless of where the League falls on those, Koivu said it would certainly be different without the energy fans bring to the building every night.

"That's such a big part of the game for us that I think that would be the first question you have," Koivu said. "But if that's not the case and if they can't do that ... I think it comes to a point where you just have to be a pro and play the game as it is.

"It would be very strange, there's no question about it. I think you go to the playoffs, or even a regular season game, fans are a huge part of the game. It's one of the biggest reasons why you play the game, you get to be in front of the fans. You get a chance to see them every night. That's a huge, huge part.

"How would that feel (to play without fans)? I don't think anyone can answer that. I think it's the same for everyone. Even for [media] or the coaching staff, but especially for the players, I don't think anyone has that answer before we'd have to do it."