Wild to retire Mikko Koivu’s jersey

Mikko Koivu will forever be known as the greatest player for the Minnesota Wild in their franchise history, until someone dares try to do the impossible feat of playing a larger role than he has.

Because of this greatness, the Wild will be honoring his contribution to this organization by retiring his No. 9 jersey number during a special pre-game ceremony on March 13, when the team hosts the Nashville Predators.

Koivu will be the first player in franchise history to have their number retired.

  ”No one worked harder than Mikko during his time with the Minnesota Wild,” said Wild GM Bill Guerin in a statement released on Monday. “He was a fiery competitor and a fantastic captain both on and off the ice. Mikko is the franchise leader in so many categories, but the impact he made in our community and the connections he made with Wild fans, will live on forever. We look forward to sharing this special honor with Mikko and all of our great fans on March 13.”

Koivu is the all-time franchise leader in: Games played (1,028), assists (504), points (709), and shots (2,270). Marking him as just an incredible player that meant so much to this team throughout his 15 years in Minnesota.

After hanging up the skates for good, Koivu has joined the Wild’s front office in some sort of hockey operations role.

  ”We are extremely excited to announce that Mikko Koivu will be the first player in team history to have his jersey retired,” said Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold. “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.”

Koivu’s name is always in the mind of this fan base, but now it will be hung in the arena for everyone to see.