Mrb1p
PRICERSTOPDAPUCK
Everyone is running around calling Saku a second line center when he clearly was a first line center for a good while. Up until Plekanec took the mantle, he was our first line center.
Few years gone, views on Koivu.
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Naoned
Registered User
My favourite player ever. Awesome man, awesome playoff performer. He was all I want the Canadiens players to be.
Joe Cole
Registered User
The media and fefans had been beating on Koivu's head for a long time, and honestly allowing Koivu to play elsewhere was the honorable thing to do, plus it was required to breathe some new air into the franchise.
Gainey inherited a team that was ripe with rot. He had a job to do. He brought credibility and honor back to the franchise. People forget how messed up this team was.
The way he stood up for Brisebois, letting Koivu escape the crush of idiots in the media/fanbase. The two things I question about Gainey were the hiring of Gauthier (hated him in Ottawa) and not officially stepping down after his daughter's death, and allowing Gauthier to run the team under the Gainey name.
Gainey inherited a team that was ripe with rot. He had a job to do. He brought credibility and honor back to the franchise. People forget how messed up this team was.
The way he stood up for Brisebois, letting Koivu escape the crush of idiots in the media/fanbase. The two things I question about Gainey were the hiring of Gauthier (hated him in Ottawa) and not officially stepping down after his daughter's death, and allowing Gauthier to run the team under the Gainey name.
Greg Beacham @gregbeacham 2m
Saku Koivu, Jonas Hiller and Dan Winnik won't be offered new contracts by the Anaheim Ducks, GM Bob Murray says.
The stage is set!! Let Gio walk, get Koivu for one year.
Saku Koivu, Jonas Hiller and Dan Winnik won't be offered new contracts by the Anaheim Ducks, GM Bob Murray says.
The stage is set!! Let Gio walk, get Koivu for one year.
We don't need more centers. Sorry Saku. Hope he signs a 1 day deal though to retire as a Hab.
I would literally sacrifice a year of hab development just to have this happen haha
Stjonnypopo
Rgesitreed Uesr
Kinda feel the same way.
He might not be a bad 3rd line option, but I don't think Saku would come back here. He's done with the whole Montreal thing I think.
You drank way too much french media cool aid back in the day buddy.
There was all kinds of things going on but Koivu being a locker room cancer was not one of them.
You keep saying that we will never know and at the same time you are trying to tell the people how it was. Which incidently is pretty much how a handful of highly controversial and pot stirring so called journalists happened to write back in the day. It was not true then it is not true now.
Ribeiro and Koivu did have an issue. Koivu was in the right and calling Ribeiro out on a thing. That is what a captain does. End of story. The real story.
As for what should be done, Koivu's jersey should not be retired in my opinion. I'd like to see some way of honoring him for sticking with a complete joke of an organisation until said organisation kicked him out. And even then he said nothing. What a guy. He just wasn't legendary on the ice and anything else shouldn't get the jersey up.
gunnerdom
Go HABS Go!!!!
You're saying he wasn't deserving to be the captain of the Habs? Are you serious? But he was good enough to captain Finland for all those years. Captain of a team that included Selanne, Lethinen, Salo, Timonen, Jokinen, etc. Finland who almost always finished with a medal.... I think people forget how good Koivu actually was.
Team_Spirit
95% Elliotte
- Jul 3, 2002
- 37,682
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i was about to reply and then i realised what my username is here...then i HAD to post! the people who "don't remember" are most likely the same people who never actually realised how good he was due to all the hate in the media, especially french. It was truly disgusting the way they treated him. If anyone thinks he was a cancer in the locker room you should just stop watching sports completely, just give up. Saku is clearly one of the most respected players in the NHL and if you cannot judge character as in Ribeiro vs Koivu then you have your own problems lol
I'm not saying he was the best player/captain of all time, but this whole character thing is really ridiculous, especially like 10 years later...
I'm not saying he was the best player/captain of all time, but this whole character thing is really ridiculous, especially like 10 years later...
- Jun 24, 2012
- 83,815
- 150,845
As suggested on Melnick's show, if this is it for Saku, let him sign a one-day contract so that he retires as a Hab.
Price My Man Crush
Registered User
And people tend to forget that Saku almost became the Ducks captain. Maybe he wasn't a bad leader after all? Tied with Getzlaf in votes after two rounds of voting.
http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2013/12/03/saku-koivus-leadership-continues-in-anaheim/
http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2013/12/03/saku-koivus-leadership-continues-in-anaheim/
Koivu was a good captain, but he will never have his number retired. Retired numbers should only go to Hall of Fame players.
Having said all that, I would sign him to a one year contract and have him retire a Hab. Let Gionta go, and have Koivu be captain for the next year, as a bridge captain.
Having said all that, I would sign him to a one year contract and have him retire a Hab. Let Gionta go, and have Koivu be captain for the next year, as a bridge captain.
Last edited by a moderator:
optimus2861
Registered User
Maybe he could do what Theo Fleury did. Come back to us for training camp, play a preseason game or two, and then hang them up to a rousing ovation at center ice as he deserves.
Oh wow, I never knew that. He handed it off to Getzlaf even though they tied. Class act all the way
Le Tricolore
Boo! BOOOO!
optimus2861
Registered User
Sure he can... I just don't see a full-time place for him on our roster this year barring some other move. I'm not sure if he's got any interest in playing at all, or with any other team. Hence my suggestion of a mini-return, which he probably wouldn't bother with in any event.
very good player, might have had a chance at being great if not for early career injuries/cancer issues... and even with that, had he played for a better organization during his prime years, who knows how good he could have been.
Through no fault of his own. Koivu's tenure, in Montreal, was during the franchise's most bizarre and disappointing period in their history. I felt sorry for the guy.
In Saku's rookie season. Tremblay and Houle were given the keys (5 games in) to run the club. A couple of months later, Roy demanded to leave town.
After some poor drafting, trading and little commitment from ownership to improve their fading fortunes. They missed the playoffs three straight years.
That's where we saw Koivu get injured over and over again. You can rewind back to his sophomore season when he suffered a knee injury in Chicago.
After a solid start. That took some wind out of Saku's sails. A bad omen. Sign of things to come for the remainder of his time in Montreal. Things hit rock bottom with the cancer.
Then we had the almost tragic eye injury (via Justin Williams) in the 2006 playoffs. Some days later, a member of the French media purposely asked Koivu questions in French. Knowing he wasn't fluent in the language.
Koivu never complained. Not once did he request a trade. A true professional through tough times. I wish him the best. I will never forget our mighty Finn, #11.
In Saku's rookie season. Tremblay and Houle were given the keys (5 games in) to run the club. A couple of months later, Roy demanded to leave town.
After some poor drafting, trading and little commitment from ownership to improve their fading fortunes. They missed the playoffs three straight years.
That's where we saw Koivu get injured over and over again. You can rewind back to his sophomore season when he suffered a knee injury in Chicago.
After a solid start. That took some wind out of Saku's sails. A bad omen. Sign of things to come for the remainder of his time in Montreal. Things hit rock bottom with the cancer.
Then we had the almost tragic eye injury (via Justin Williams) in the 2006 playoffs. Some days later, a member of the French media purposely asked Koivu questions in French. Knowing he wasn't fluent in the language.
Koivu never complained. Not once did he request a trade. A true professional through tough times. I wish him the best. I will never forget our mighty Finn, #11.
sakicduchene
Registered User
Oh wow, I never knew that. He handed it off to Getzlaf even though they tied. Class act all the way
big class
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