‘Cap Finn’ gets a chance to say farewell to Wild fans with number retirement

Mikko Koivu’s career with the Minnesota Wild ended in a fan-free Edmonton with a Stanley Cup qualifying-round loss to the Vancouver Canucks in 2020.

He ended up playing seven games with the Columbus Blue Jackets the next season before he announced his retirement after a 16-year NHL career.

But he never got a final game in St. Paul, and with it a chance to say farewell to the Wild fans and organization.

That will change on Sunday as Koivu, also known as ‘Cap Finn’ during his playing days in Minnesota, will be honored as being the first player in franchise history to have a number retired. The ceremony for No. 9 is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Xcel Energy Center prior to the Wild’s matchup with the Nashville Predators that kicks off a nine-game homestand.

The Wild are 2-0-1 over their last three games after stumbling through the previous few weeks.  Minnesota has 10 of the last 18 matchups against the Predators

“I think humble is the word that comes to my mind,” Koivu said during a media availability session earlier this week . “I was always very proud to be a member of this team and The State of Hockey. I’ve said this before when you first come into Minnesota you know the (hockey) culture — the high school hockey tournament, the college hockey, but you don’t realize how much it means. I think that’s always been special to me.”

Koivu was selected by the Wild sixth overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft and was named the first full-time team captain for the franchise on Oct. 20, 2009 —  a role he held for the rest of his time with the Wild.

.And the Wild took on the personality of the center, known for his two-way style  and two-way mentality.

“I think I had that style of hockey coming in from Finland and that’s kind of the way we play the game over there,” Koivu said. “That’s the secret behind our success as a country.”

He said his skills combined by the early tutelage of then-Wild coach Jacques Lemaire took his overall game to the next level with Minnesota.

How big of an impact did Koivu make with the Wild? He is the franchise leader in:

Games played (1,028). Assists (504). Points (709). Plus/minus rating (plus-70). Shots on goal (2,270). Power-play points (251). Power-play assists (191). Shorthanded points (25). Shorthanded assists (15). Multi-point games (153). Face-offs won (10,354). Face-offs taken (19,290). Shootout attempts (107). Shootout goals (42). Game deciding goals (18) . Playoff games played (59)..

Koivu said it’s not just the longevity or the numbers that stand out in his career, however.

“I dpn’t think its one thing,” Koivu said. “It’s the teams, it’s the hockey, it’s the off-ice. the people. The way I’ve been treated here by the fans, by the people, by the media. That’s the relationship that I’m thankful but also proud of that. It really means a lot.”

Betting odds

The Wild vs. Predators odds on WynnBET has Minnesota favored by 1.5 goals at the Xcel Energy Center.  Minnesota also is favored on the moneyline as well at -160.  Nashville is the underdog at +140. The over/under is set at six total goals.

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Upcoming Wild schedule

Wednesday, March 16: Boston, 6:30 p.m. CST

Saturday, March 19: Chicago, 1 p.m. CST

Monday, March 21: Vegas, 7 p.m. CST