Welcome home Koivu!!

Tonight is a very important hockey game for me.

Tonight, the Habs play on home ice against the Anaheim Ducks. Why is this game so important? Well, my captain, the former captain, Saku Koivu, MY KOIVU was not resigned 2 seasons ago, even though he had only EVER been a Hab. He signed with the Ducks. And my heart broke. I grew up watching Koivu, he's all I remember. I never thought that he would retire as anything but a Hab, and its still very hard to accept the fact that he won't be retired a Hab. Tonight will be the first time he comes back to Montreal since he signed with the Ducks. His first game in Montreal, not as a Hab. And I have NO DOUBT that he will get a standing ovation tonight.Koivu leaving was bitter. He'd been on with the Habs his entire nhl career. He went through cancer, and made it back to hockey. He was very lucky. I remember that first game back, and the huge endless standing ovation he got, 8 minutes long. In Montreal, they didn't have the machine he needed for his cancer treatment. So he fund-raised the money to bring the machine to Montreal. He was very involved with the community, although the French Media ate him alive for not speaking French (he could speak French, but not fluently....and why bother, because the media would only rip him apart for NOT speaking it fluently. It was a lose-lose situation). He also got a stick in the eye, and almost lost his eyesight. He came back from that too.

He was not the best player in the nhl. He got a lot of flack for not putting up the goal numbers, which was ridiculous because he was a play maker and set up the goals. If anyone had bothered to look at his assist numbers, they would realize that they were pretty high in the league. What he was was a great leader. Even Don Cherry said so (and he hates the French, and the Europeans...and therefore all of my Habs! haha!). He was well respected, classy. He didn't deal out dirty hits, the players looked up to him. Fans looked up to him. Koivu had won the hearts of the fans. He still has their hearts, at least most definitely mine. And he's a prime example of someone still being able to play the game with dignity and tact. Something which is missing in many players today.

So I look forward to tonight, and am torn with who to cheer for. To me, Koivu is STILL my captain, always will be. And one day, I will have my Koivu jersey, in honor of him. I know that I will be emotional during this game, and I will most likely cry when he steps onto the ice. That's right, I said it. Don't judge.

Here is a link to his press conference in Montreal yesterday, he was obviously emotional. And yes, I cried when I watched this too. Oh how I wish I was at that game tonight!