(Las Vegas) The tradition continues, said the slogan of a famous beer. The Montreal Canadiens selected Aatos Koivu in the third round of the 2024 draft (70e in total). He is the son of Saku, captain of the franchise from 1998 to 2009.
Published at 12:45 p.m.
With the under-20 club TPS Turku, also his father’s former club in Finland, he had 31 points in 28 games last season. The Press had drawn up a brief portrait of the young man at the recent NHL prospects evaluation camp.
He then said he had few memories of Montreal, the city where he was born, but that he left Quebec when he was only three years old, when his father signed a contract with the Anaheim Ducks.
He plays center, like his father and like his uncle Mikko, who had a long career with the Minnesota Wild.
By videoconference from Finland, Aatos explained that having such a well-known name did not intimidate him. “I think I can make a name for myself, play my way, be myself and try to become the best player I can be,” he said.
From Montreal, he heard “only good things” from his parents.
It’s almost a family trait, but he describes himself as responsible defensively, while taking advantage of his skating and shooting to generate offense. He did not travel to Vegas, and he is not expected to participate in the CH development camp next week, preferring to prioritize his training in Europe, while he aims for a full-time position with Turku in Liiga, the main championship Finnish.
A Francophile in the third round
With his next selection, also in the third round (78e), the Canadian turned to Logan Sawyer, a center player who played in British Columbia and Alberta last season – his team, the Brooks Bandits, curiously changed leagues during the campaign. In the BCHL and AJHL, circuits of caliber equivalent to Quebec junior AAA, he collected a total of 78 points in 59 games.
He is already familiar with Quebec, having played for a season at Standsted, in Estrie. He also speaks French, a language he learned throughout his primary and secondary school career.
Sawyer had made the trip to Vegas, and he couldn’t sit still when he met the Montreal journalists. Charismatic, he was delighted to wear “the best sweater” in the league, that of “the best team”. His time in Stanstead allowed him to take the pulse of the population’s passion for the Habs. Watching matches in French is a good way to learn the language, he will point out at closed microphones.
He describes himself as a primarily offensive forward, with a strong feel for the game. However, he will need to add muscle, as he only weighs 174 pounds despite his 6’1”. The player who inspires him the most is Elias Pettersson. “I think my style is similar to his. He’s super smart… And he’s not bad, right? ” Indeed.
In the fourth round (102e overall), the CH selected Owen Protz, a strong defenseman (6’1″, 213 lbs) with a defensive nature from the Brantford Bulldogs in the Ontario Junior League.
In the next round, at 130e rank in total, the Flannel got into the Western Junior League by grabbing Tyler Thorpe, big winger (6 ft 4 in) playing with the Vancouver Giants. Four ranks later, he acquired the rights to Mikus Vecvanags, a goalkeeper playing in the championship of Latvia, his native country. The Canadian having stocked up on this position last year, it will come as no surprise that he waited so late to draft a masked man, on the 15th.e to hear his name on Saturday.
In the sixth round (166e), the CH chose American center player Ben Merrill, who played in a prep school last season – in high school, in other words. He’s a giant at 6’4″, but still has plenty of room to fill, weighing less than 200 lbs (194, according to Elite Prospects). Originally from Massachusetts, he is destined for Harvard University.
In the seventh round (210e), we opted for Makar Khanin, a 19-year-old winger who amassed 27 points in 35 games last season in Saint Petersburg in the VHL, a circuit below the KHL.
The club’s scouts concluded their workday with Rasmus Bergqvist, who was selected in the penultimate round of the draft. The 19-year-old Swede played in Skellefteå AIK’s U20 program last season.
