Congratulations, Saku Koivu

For the longest time, I have been frustratingly indecisive about which player deserved the honour of having their number stitched on the back of my white Vintage Canadiens jersey. At one point, it was José Theodore's #60 that was going to win the contest. We all know how he lost his spot in this race. Then, I thought about Alex Kovalev, but the distinction should be bestowed upon a player who shows up for all games, not just the odd one here and there. Michael Ryder? Too streaky. Sheldon Souray? Those defensive lapses are killer, and who knows if he'll be a member of Les Canadiens next September. Andrei Markov? Solid defenseman, but he lacks the charisma. Cristobal Huet? I'm not a bandwagon-jumper. How about Chris Higgins or Mike Komisarek, you say? They would definitely be great choices, but they need to establish that they are indeed career Habs before they get to be worn on my back. Thanks a lot, Pierre Turgeon.

It turns out that I've had the answer glaring at me in the face this whole time. After all, these players are all good NHL hockey players. It's no wonder the Canadiens are near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, and that they've been there all season long. But what is it about this team that makes it great, that makes it special? The answer, of course, is Saku Koivu.

Loyal readers of this blog might remember that I have been critical of the Habs' captain before. Last year, I didn't feel like he was pulling his weight when the Canadiens were running on empty. I never felt like he was the standout player Canadiens captains are all expected to be.

That all changed last year, when Koivu got carelessly eliminated from the playoffs by a free-flying Justin Williams high stick. Before the incident, the Habs were flying high, on pace to upset the Hurricanes and tear apart any other team in the Eastern conference that would dare stand in their way. But as soon as the blade of Williams' stick penetrated the skin right above Koivu's eye, the team collapsed. Sometimes, you just don't know what you've got until it's gone.

Fast-forward to September of this year, when the hockey "experts" were still doubting whether Koivu would be able to rough it out in the NHL. No one, not even Bob Gainey or Guy Carbonneau, knew what to expect. But Koivu, the team's fifth-longest-serving captain - putting him in the jaw-dropping company of Bob Gainey, Jean Béliveau, Maurice Richard, and Toe Blake - has roared out of the gates this year to lead his team in scoring. He beat back cancer, and donated a PET/CT scanner to the city. He beat back this devastating eye injury. He has beaten back countless injuries to become one of the best playmakers and leaders the team has ever known.

And tonight, when the captain was marking the occasion of his 600th NHL game - all with Montreal - he scored two goals to help his team overcome a lazy effort. Last Saturday, in a game I was lucky enough to attend, Koivu again single-handedly won it for his team in spite of lacklustre play, scoring two goals and adding one in the shoot-out for a 4-3 decision over the Maple Leafs. To borrow a line from Chris Martin of Coldplay fame, Koivu simply ignited my bones in their seats, far away from Koivu's in the Bell Centre's nosebleeds.

I may have doubted the guy, but those days are no more. I can still remember when Koivu first joined the team; I was but a toddler mimicking the reports that Koivu was projected to be a star in this league to my friends. And while he may not have the stats or the Stanley Cups to back it up, we all know that Saku Koivu is one of the true Canadiens greats, the stuff legends are made of. Congratulations on #600, Saku, and look out for me in my Habs jersey around town. There will be a familiar number 11 sewn on its back very soon.