Koivu Deserves His Place Among Canadiens All Time Elite
by Robert L on Feb 27, 2009 1:55 AM EST
12 comments
It was a typically selfless sacrifice play, a gesture among many others of willful intent within a game, from a player who has never failed to place the team ahead of himself.
On the play, during a 5 on 3 disadvantage, Canadiens captain Saku Koivu covering the point, spun a pirouette, slashing the puck off an opponent's stick, and then dove to poke it away from another, and onto the blade of a dashing Tomas Plekanec, emerging into the clear at center ice after two minutes served in the sin bin.
Plekanec went in alone to score a what became the game's winning goal.
A highlight reel marker for Plekanec. An historic achievement for Koivu.
With the assist, Koivu had tied Habs great Elmer Lach for tenth place on the Canadiens all time scoring list.
The feat was addressed and celebrated with the usual amount of fanfare that greets Koivu's accomplishments. The point touched no milestone, broke no record, and reached no big round number.
Saku Koivu's 623rd NHL regular season point, monumental as it is, was greeted without trumpets and declarations. Such is often the case with the 13 year veteran.
History will one day tell whether Koivu truly is underappreaciated in the realm of Montreal Canadiens' greats. For now, many will be surprised to find his name amongst the Richard brothers, and players named Lafleur, Beliveau, Robinson, Cournoyer, Lemaire, Shutt, Geoffrion and Lach, winners of a combined 64 Stanley Cups. However Koivu's tenure in Montreal is eventually termed, it will likely consider what he has not been able to achieve over his time, starting with winning the hallowed Cup. While none of the players listed above would ever dare suggest they won anything on their own, Koivu has scraped his way into their midst almost completely on his own. Still, the cynical will persist in detailing all of what Koivu isn't, as opposed to what he is and should be valued for. It is as though his gravest fault was in being born 50 years too late to be surrounded by the greatest of greats. At some point, the conscience of cynics ought to deal with all of what Koivu has been the essense of for 13 seasons.
During his time, Koivu has been the hardest of battlers, often injured due to his competitive nature.
A large heart rather than a large man, he has been tasked in the role of captain longer than anyone not named Beliveau.
He's been maligned badly along the way, criticized at every step for not being more than he already was.
He could give everything of himself, but his best has never been good enough.
A native of Finland who had to learn english, he is knocked for not speaking french.
At times, it has been demanded of him that he carry a club with no one worth his weight on it.
He's battled back from cancer in the span of one season, returning to lead his charges through two rounds of playoffs.
He's lost part of the vision in one eye after an injury, and returned to have his most productive season while having to adjust to seeing things differently.
Along the entire course of this, his leadership has been relentlessly questioned due to his humble nature. And now, he has clawed his way into the group of all time team leaders virtually by himself, and many are wondering whether he will even be offered a contract next summer. After all this, there are then those who question why he maintains a sheltered distance from the media that tends to rough ride him at every available go. Through years of hospital visits to sick children and helping to raise donations of millions in funds, his leadership is described as never vocal enough. Some people I gather, could find a way to dislike the sun!
Koivu's achievement in reaching the Canadiens all time top ten scorers is no small feat. Consider all the knocks against him, and the fact that he keeps getting back up only to be pounded for more, and a you get a sliver of an idea of the resilience of the man.
It is often said, that since the Canadiens last dynasty ended in 1979, that there has only been one true warrior - Patrick Roy - worthy of the names that hang from the Bell Centre rafters. While that is far from completely precise, it is a major slight to Koivu.
In all those years since, Koivu is the only player to pierce the Habs all time top ten point getters. It is worthy of the accomplishments of those he is joining by mere fact that he had few compatriots helping him get there. The cast of Koivu's team mates - Recchi, Savage, Rucinsky, and Ryder - don't quite measure up to the componants of the Punch Line or the trio of Lafleur, Lemaire and Shutt, who were all around together long enough to help each other deep into that list. Koivu may not win that Cup many feel his efforts deserve. He may also not live to see his number eleven raised above every head in the Bell. In the end, such accolades might not be the best measuring sticks for Koivu, who had to suffer the unfortunate fate of being dropped into a time in Habs lore when virtually every ounce of vision vanished for ten seasons.
Being the most consistent player during the club's most inconsistent years is not Koivu's cross to bear.
He is, after all, the man responsible for giving the Bell Centre a heart. The arena was a cold and distant place, until the night he stepped on that ice, after having survived a cancer scare.
He may one day leave the game without all that we've wanted for him, he should not leave it without every single Canadiens fan's utmost and everlasting respect.
Shame on anyone who denies him as much.
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Nice trip
Like it or not, being a warrior is also about getting away with stuff. Koivu tripping Bieksa on the pass follow-up was an absolute, absolute classic. Mind you, Pleks gets to Luongo even if Koivu doesn’t trip Bieksa, but…
A game of inches…
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!
Well said….. thanks for saying what I’ve been thinking for a long time now!!!!!
I am so tired of the constant stream of bashing that Koivu receives on so many forums that pertain to the Canadiens. It is a downright dirty rotten shame how fans of this team speak of him. At times the criticism borders on stupidity unfortunately.As you have pointed out so well, far more often than not, Koivu has not been blessed with the best of linemates let alone the strongest of teams during his tenure in Montreal. In spite of that he has risen to the top of the class time and again. And still the chorus of derogatory comments are there from far too many corners. The sad part is almost nothing he does will put an end to it?
For too many the only measuring stick is a Stanley Cup – and for some even one isn’t enough. In response to that I would simply point out that there have been a lot of great players who skated their entire careers without hoisting the Cup once. Brad Park is one who comes to mind, and there are others who had brilliant NHL careers. While they are definitely disappointed by that lack of accomplishment, the fact remains that it did not diminish the level of their skill set or their contributions one iota. They were very good, in some cases great players in spite of that one shortfall in their playing days. And the reality is that gven the reality of todays NHL there are going to be even more NHL players who may never sip champagne from that highly sought prize during their career.
Sundin probably won’t get that elusive grail now that he has gone to Vancouver and Ovechkin may never get that chance in Washington. Does that in any way make them poor leaders on their teams, as so many point out about Koivu?
One player can only carry a team as far as the overall talent it possesses will allow.
If he could then Gretzky would have won a Cup every single year he played. He didn’t simply because the teams lacked the sum of the parts that are needed to win the toughest league championship in all sports. Only one team can win it every year and you have to be good enough to survive the grind of 4 playoff series and 16 hard fought victories along the route. The rest of the teams will all fall short for a lot of reasons and for the biggest part it will because they weren’t good enough or deep enough as a team, no matter how good their leadership might be.
Koivu is one of many captains, and in some cases great players who have found themselves in this situation over the years. I don’t think for even one moment that these were not some of the best who have ever laced them up, simply because they didn’t win it all.
Koivu has proven that he is a warrior who battles through constant adversity. He puts the logo on his sweater first and foremost. The goal you mention herein was a great summation of Koivu the man and the player I’ve come to appreciate. At the time of the goal I almost leapt from my chair as I muttered under my breath how fitting the play was and that it resulted in one of the best goals too witness so far this year. In every way you noted, it is the sum of what Koivu means to this team……
Unfortunately there all too often far too many narrow minded fans who can’t see that in their blinded vision for a Stanley Cup.
p.s. On the other hand, personally I found that Borque’s rental victory in Colorado left an absolutely disgusting odour on what was already an outstanding tenure in Boston.
Oh yes, the Cup!
The Cup is one darn good measuring stick, but it’s not the only one.
The Bourque in Colorado would have seemed more like a rental to me had he won in his first season there. The fact that he came back for another full season and gave every ounce of himself to working towards winning and was a vital contributor to it made it legit in my eyes.
Koivu
Excellent article, Robert. Koivu is often very much unappreciated. He did everything he could to get the team into the playoffs in 2006-07 and his story that lead to his return for the team in 2002 should be made into a movie.
With all due respect to Guy Lafleur, perhaps the “Flower” doesn’t recognize true grit and leadership in others.
Koivu
Can’t agree with you more. I just wish Koivu is able to finish his career in Montreal. History is not on his side as the Habs traded every single Captain since the retirement of Gainey. We must acknowledge that the Habs failed to build a competitive team during the late 90’s and early 2000’s when Koivu was in his prime. Now he is older and hampered with injuries, past and present, he does appear to have lost some of his ability to control the tempo of the game. It is sad but I still think he will continue to serve as a strong leader of a young team.
I too hope he plays all his career in Montreal. It’s time a player begins and ends his career in the city. That doesn’t happen much anymore. Winning a Cup in Montreal would seal his legacy. I’m thinking that only once he is gone, will he truly be appreciated and understood for all he has meant to the team.
That piece was beautifully written Robert., pass the tissue please! I feel so bad for the treament he gets here, but I just put it down to ignorance, they really don’t know any better. They’re the same bunch that won’t buy or wear poppies because they don’t have a clue what they represent nor do they care. We have a nickname in work, we call them the “element”, Quebec’s finest, NOT!
Saku Koivu
Robert thanks for the article, not that I wasn’t already aware of his many accomplishments but that others may know what an incredible person and gifted player and leader Saku is…all the shit thrown his way by the idiot fringe in Montreal by either the so called fans or those masquarading as media doesn’t diminish in the least what he has done for his club, his organization and his adopted city.
my wish is that Gainey re-signs him for perhaps another 2 years and that the elusive Cup may be a possibility with being in the Cup final being a certainty. as for his sweater being retired many media pundits and callers to the open mouth shows have already proclaimed he is not worthy for all sorts of unsubstantiated rationale. my guess is that Gillette will have more to say on that score than the idiots
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