Saku Koivu was never one to relish the spotlight; he wasn’t as a player, and even less now as the father of a hockey player. He came back to Montreal for the first time since 2019 thanks to his son Aatos’ presence at the Montreal Canadiens’ development camp, but he didn’t want to steal his thunder, so he didn’t even speak to the media.
Now that he’s back home in Turku, Finland, he gave an interview to the Journal de Montreal, and here’s what he had to say in a nutshell. He was discreet in Montreal, giving autographs and posing for selfies to those who asked as he walked by the Centre Bell, and it was emotional for the former Hab.
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His stay in Montreal the first time around, first as a player and then as a captain, saw him go through a lot, the early years of his career, his battle with cancer, and the birth of his kids, who were only four and three years old when he left for Anaheim. A victim of Bob Gainey’s cleanse in the run-up to the centennial, the longest-tenured Canadiens captain (tied with Jean Beliveau) was allowed to walk as a free agent in the Summer before the 2009-10 season.
Struck by a thunderous cancer in the prime of his career, Koivu won his battle against it in brilliant fashion, and his return to play was the occasion for the most heartfelt ovation given to an active player in modern times. Today, as he approaches 51 years old, his health is good, and cancer is a distant memory.
During his visit to Montreal for the development camp, he was allowed to go and see the family’s former house, and it’s easy to guess that nostalgia hit hard when he tells the interviewer that time goes by so fast.
His life is quite different nowadays; he sits on the Turku hockey team’s board, but that's not a full-time commitment. Instead, he has been involved in construction for the past 10 years, and he says he has learned a great deal in that field since then.
With Koivu’s son’s performance during the development camp, it is likely that the former Canadiens’ captain won’t wait another six years before visiting again. Aatos’ contract with TPS Turku will come to an end this upcoming season, and he will also be getting his diploma. There’s no set course of action beyond that, though. He could sign another contract with Turku or pursue a career in the AHL or American college system; time will tell. For now, he doesn’t have a contract with the Canadiens, but it will be interesting to see what the Canadiens decide to do as the end of his contract nears.
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
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