Minnesota Wild: Koivu’s Captaincy Huge for Finland
Yesterday the Finnish Ice Hockey Association named Minnesota Wild captain Mikko Koivu to be the captain of their squad in the upcoming World Cup of Hockey. While the selection may not come as a surprise, the effect of Koivu’s leadership on the diverse Finnish lineup will be huge.
The Finnish Ice Hockey Association made it official yesterday and named Minnesota Wild captain and center Mikko Koivu to be the captain for Suomi during next month’s World Cup of Hockey. This should come as no surprise as Koivu was the captain of Finland’s silver medal squad for May’s IIHF World Championship, and has long been a staple of Finnish international hockey. Still the announcement is big as it cements a big piece of what will be a great Team Finland squad competing in Toronto.
Finland boasts one of the more dynamic rosters in the field of eight teams competing for the World Cup. Koivu will lead a roster that has players from the different professional leagues and varying levels of experience. He’ll need to be on his game to bring together this diverse group, but he’ll certainly have the skills to pull it off.
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The first challenge of any tournament team like this is trying to make a cohesive playing unit in a limited amount time. The lead up to the tournament for Finland will start on September 5th and consist of five dedicated practices and three exhibition games in Helsinki, Gothenburg, and Washington D.C. Koivu as team captain will need to take this time to learn his squad inside and out. Luckily for him this is a Team Finland that includes lots of players he’s played with in past Olympics, this recent World Championships in Russia, or with the Wild. That gives him a leg up with very few question marks for him and most of the lineup will should be used to his direction as captain.
Koivu’s silent, lead by example style will fit in well with this team. This is a very experienced roster who will follow with very little need for the vocal showmanship that some captains use to motivate their team. Playing on a line with his Wild teammate Mikael Granlund will more than likely result in strong production which will be a challenge and inspiration for his Finnish teammates.
Koivu will be able to keep it fun yet serious at the same time. In tournaments like the World Cup it’s often the teams that are enjoying themselves that do well, vice the teams that get too serious and end up putting more pressure on themselves.
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Most of all though Koivu will bring experience to the table. This will be his 14th time representing Finland and Koivu’s second World Cup. In those appearances he’s won two gold medals, four bronze medals, and five silver medals to include one at the last World Cup played in 2004. So if anyone can lead the Finns through an international tourney it’s Koivu. Looking across the field of eight teams you’d be hard pressed to find a player with the international credentials or successes like Koivu. He’ll use that to make Finland a medal contender for sure.
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Finland made a great choice for their captain and one that will not no doubt help set them apart. They’ll be contenting for a medal because of the great lineup they have. Koivu’s captaincy will make sure they contend for the Gold.