BUFFALO – On December 18, 2014, Aatos Koivu found himself on the ice at the Bell Center. He still remembers it very well today. It was him, the little blond guy in the green wool sweater, clapping amusedly while 21,000 people chanted his father’s name.
Nothing is imminent, but it is not unreasonable to think that the son of the former captain of the Canadiens will one day return to the scene of this touching tribute. This time all alone like a grown-up, skates on.
Aged 17, Koivu is a prospect for the next National League draft. A few weeks before D-Day, it is an observation that he continues to welcome with a good dose of disbelief. Never, when his father retired, would he have thought he would one day be able to follow in his footsteps.
In fact, there is no need to go back that far. Just a year ago, you would have had to make sure his mouth was empty before suggesting this possibility.
“I wouldn’t have believed you, I would have called you a liar,” responds candidly the young Finn, met last week at the prospects evaluation camp in Buffalo. A year ago, I certainly didn’t imagine I would be sitting here today. »
Koivu’s rating has continued to rise in the last ten months. Trained in the TPS Turku academy, the center player started the season with the club’s U18 team. During his participation in the Five Nations Under-18 tournament in February, he said that it was at this level that he expected to spend his entire year. But that’s not what happened.
After 20 U18 games, Koivu had amassed 22 points. His production earned him promotion to the U20s, where he has not wavered. He added 31 points, including 16 goals, in 28 games. He even got a four-game stint with the first team, in Liiga, when veterans landed in the infirmary in January. “Probably the coolest thing that’s happened to me so far in my career,” he gushes.
He kept up the pace in the playoffs, posting seven points in ten games. In April, this extensive track record earned him an invitation to the Under-18 World Championship.
“As the season progressed, I gained a lot of confidence,” said the 6-foot, 170-pound skater. I had a good start in the U18s, luck smiled on me and I started to believe that I wasn’t that bad of a player. This may have been where I first started thinking about the draft, but I also didn’t want to get distracted. It’s only since the World Championship that I’ve allowed myself to think about it more. »
Out of the shadows
Aatos Koivu was born in Finland just before his father had his most productive season with the Canadian. He lived in Montreal for three years, then spent the next five years in California.
From the time when Saku finished his career with the Anaheim Ducks, he has relatively few memories. His visits to the arena were mainly an opportunity to explore behind the scenes and play with his friends. “It’s a bit sad that I don’t remember anything about the matches from back then,” he laughs, revisiting the past. I would pay a lot to be able to attend today. »
Aatos Koivu with his father SakuThe young Koivu does not seem too interested in giving material to the fairy tale in which he plays the role of the heir who follows the path cleared by his famous father. His father obviously supported and advised him in his athletic career, he assures, but without stifling him with an imperative to succeed.
“He is very interested, he is always at my matches, but above all he tries to be a good father to me at home and that is what I prefer. »
When asked if his father is still involved in the management of TPS Turku – he was once the owner, the director of player development and the site Elite Prospects now identifies him as a consultant – the teenager says the joke that “he’s doing something, but I’m not sure what exactly!” »
“I don’t give much importance to all that,” he said more seriously. My father played, he had a great career, he accomplished great things. I’m just trying to make my own way. »
It was earlier said that nothing was imminent regarding the possible accession of Aatos Koivu to the National League. Indeed, evaluators mainly seem to see it as an object of curiosity and a long-term project. His shooting and defensive instincts allow him to stand out, but his arsenal is still too incomplete for him to be projected as a future professional in North America.
For at least the next two seasons, Koivu sees himself continuing his progression at the highest level in his country.
“My goal is to make my place in this league, to carve out a position there next year. I’m not saying that my season will be a failure if I have to play in U20, really not, but I want to play in Liiga and get big minutes there, an important role. That’s what I’m focusing on. »
