Mikko Koivu spent all of his 15 seasons in NHL with Minnesota Wild, but will have to suit up for another team if he wants to play next season. Wild’s general manager Bill Guerin announced late last week that Koivu’s time with the franchise has come to an end.
Koivu, who captained the team since 2009, saw his contract expire at the end of 2019/20, and Wild opted not to offer him an extension.
“His hard work, dedication, and team-first mentality will be extremely difficult to replace in our lineup,” Guerin told reporters. “Off the ice, Mikko’s impact in the State of Hockey was immeasurable as he went out of his way to make a positive impact on so many people in our community, including his charitable contributions to Children’s Minnesota.”
Minnesota drafted Mikko Koivu sixth overall in 2001, but he had to wait for his NHL debut until the 2005/06 season. Since then, he made a total of 1,028 NHL regular-season appearances, contributing with 205 goals and 504 assists for a total of 709 points.
Koivu will leave Wild as the franchise leader in games played, assists, points, and several other categories. He is also the only full-time captain that the franchise ever had, considering that before 2009 the team had a rotating captainship.
It remains to be seen whether Koivu played his last game in the NHL. The 37-year-old captain previously expressed his wish to extend his career, but there is always a possibility for him to return to native Finland where he had his pro beginnings.
