Mikko Koivu

Mikko Sakari Koivu (born March 12, 1983) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who plays centre and is team captain of the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is the younger brother of Saku Koivu, who plays for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career
After playing in the Finnish junior leagues, Koivu began playing for TPS of the SM-liiga as a seventeen-year-old in 2000–01. He was selected 6th overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild and continued to play with TPS Turku for three more seasons.

Koivu moved to North America in the 2004–05 to play for Minnesota's AHL affiliate, the Houston Aeros. The next season, he made his NHL debut with the Wild, scoring 21 points in his rookie season. In 2006–07, Koivu improved to a career-high 20 goals, 34 assists and 54 points. Injuries slowed him down in his third season; in a game against the Vancouver Canucks, defenceman Mattias Öhlund retaliated to an unpenalized elbow from Koivu and slashed him, breaking a bone in Koivu's leg. Ohlund was given a four game suspension and Koivu missed 24 games.

Before the 2008–09 season started, Koivu was announced as a permanent alternate captain for the entire season along with teammate Andrew Brunette, assuming they weren't captain for the month. But Koivu started the 2008–09 season as team captain for the months of October and November. Though rumors swirled that former Wild coach Jacques Lemaire was close stopping rotating the captaincy and naming Koivu the permantant captain, he was replaced by Kim Johnsson in December, and went back to his role as alternate captain. In January 2009, Koivu was once again honored with the Wild captaincy after only a month's pause. Despite the team not officially giving up on rotating captaincy, many fans view Koivu as the de facto captain of the Wild. The fact that Koivu was once again chosen to captain the team in March 2009 (with Andrew Brunette acting as captain in February) only strengthens this opinion. With the Wild's complete restructuring of their management in 2009, Koivu has a chance at becoming the team's first permanent captain.

On October 16, Koivu tied a Wild franchise record for most assists in a game with four against the Florida Panthers. He also added a goal for a career-high five-point game as the Wild defeated Florida 6-2.

International play
As a junior, Koivu competed in two World Junior U18 Championships, capturing gold in 2000 and bronze in 2001. Koivu did double duty in 2001, also participating in the World Junior Championships, earning a silver medal while contributing 3 assists. He played in his second World Juniors the following year in 2002, tallying 5 points in 6 games as Finland captured another silver medal. It also marked Koivu's fourth and final medal in junior international play.

Before making his North American début in the AHL, Koivu competed in the 2004 World Cup as Finland finished runner-up to Team Canada. Two years later, he appeared in the 2006 Winter Olympics. Koivu failed to register a point as Finland finished with a silver medal.

Beginning in 2006, Koivu has appeared in three consecutive World Championships. He helped Finland to a bronze medal in 2006 with 4 points, then matched his output the following year with another 4 points in 2007 as Finland improved to a silver medal. In the 2008 World Championships, Koivu became a key contributor, tallying an international career-high 9 points in 9 games as Finland won the bronze medal.

Koivu holds the distinction of medaling in every international competition he has participated in with Finland.

Records

 * Minnesota Wild franchise record for most assists in a game (tied) - 4 (October 16, 2008, against the Florida Panthers)