Saturday Habs Headlines: Saku Koivu’s number 11 to be retired by Finnish national team

Montreal Canadiens News and Notes

• The Finnish national hockey team will retire Saku Koivu‘s number 11 ahead of the opening game of the 2016 World Junior Championship being held in Helsinki. [RDS]
• Carey Price’s MVP season ranks among the top Canadian sports stories of 2015. [National Post]
• Is the current string of losses reason to doubt the Canadiens’ playoff hopes? [Montreal Gazette]
• There are parallels to be drawn between the recent Habs slump and one from 15 years ago. [TVA Sports]
• Lukas Vejdemo is staying positive after being cut from Team Sweden. [Aftonbladet (Swedish)]
• Check out the terrific Christmas gift Brendan Gallagher received:
  

  Huge thanks for this amazing Christmas present from my family of the legends of the game joined by my grandparents in the stands watching! @allymacstudio and @gabrielesteban did an amazing job I can’t thank them enough. Go check out www.allymcintyre.com

  A photo posted by Brendan Gallagher (@bgally.11) on Dec 25, 2015 at 12:10pm PST

Around the League and Elsewhere

• Nearing the middle of the regular season, who is in the running for MVP? [Pro Hockey Talk]
• Take a look at the top ten draft eligible prospects competing at the World Juniors. [DBD]
• The QMJHL will be well represented in the Canadian crease in Helsinki. [IIHF]
• One of the most surprising teams in the NHL thus far, can the Arizona Coyotes keep it up? [5FH]