On Monday afternoon the Wild announced they will be retiring long-time captain Mikko Koivu‘s No. 9. To honor his number the Wild will host a ceremony before the game against the Nashville Predators on March 13th.
March 13 will be the Mikko Koivu No. 9 retirement ceremony prior to their game vs. Preds. The first permanent captain in franchise history will be the first uniform number hanging from Xcel’s rafters
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) November 29, 2021
Minnesota Wild Set To Retire Mikko Koivu’s Number
It’s almost fitting that the Wild will retire Mikko Koivu’s number after he spent 15 years with the organization and 11 seasons as Wild captain. Maybe even more fitting that the Wild will do it against the Nashville Predators. Former Wild forward Mikael Granlund, who played 461 career games as a member of the Wild all with Mikko Koivu as the captain, will return to Minnesota to witness the ceremony.
Another former Wild center, Luke Kunin, who is also playing for the Predators will witness the ceremony. Kunin spent three seasons with the Wild before he was traded to the Predators on October 7th, 2020. Koivu served as a mentor to Kunin throughout the years he spent in Minnesota and departed from the organization the same time Kunin did.
“Mikko did so many great things for our organization on the ice and in our community during his 15-year career here. He truly deserves this honor and I look forward to celebrating this historic moment with his family and all our passionate fans at Xcel Energy Center on March 13,” said Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold in a release.
Heart. Passion. Fire.
It's time to celebrate #CapFinn. 💚#mnwild pic.twitter.com/xDQYieLSzS
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) November 29, 2021
What This Means for the Minnesota Wild
Mikko’s name and iconic number nine will forever hang in the rafters of the arena that he called home for 15 years. Koivu played 1,028 games for the Wild, recording 205 goals and 504 assists. The 38-year-old Finnish native joined the franchise as the sixth overall pick in the 2001 NHL draft.
Koivu was the first permanent captain in franchise history until he left the organization following the 2019-20 season. He played briefly with the Columbus Blue Jackets before retiring from the NHL.
Mikko will now be the last player in Minnesota Wild franchise history to wear No. 9. Koivu continues to live in the Twin Cities and is a member of the Children’s Foundation Board.
Main ImageEmbed from Getty Images
