Wild captain Mikko Koivu tried to get in touch with former teammates in recent days, in the lead-up to the team recognizing him for playing in his 1,000th game Dec. 1, but no one answered his calls.
"Now I understand why," Koivu said.
Marian Gaborik, Niklas Backstrom, Nick Schultz and Kyle Brodziak surprised Koivu during a pregame ceremony Tuesday at Xcel Energy Center before the Wild's 3-2 shootout loss to the Ducks, sharing the ice with Koivu and his family as the center was honored for reaching the milestone.
"I've got to say thank you to the organization about everything," Koivu said after the game. "It's been first class. I think that was something that I'll never forget. Not only for me, but for those guys, too. It shows their appreciation for the organization, for those guys and what they've done and how they built the culture around here early on when the team first got here and then when I first got here."
Suited up in his gear even though he was unable to play because of a lower-body injury, Koivu waved to the crowd before joining his wife, Helena, their three children and his parents on the ice.
During a video tribute that included highlights of Koivu's career, coach Bruce Boudreau, current teammates and former ones — such as Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter, Brian Rolston, Backstrom and Gaborik — passed along their congratulations. Koivu's brother, Saku, also was featured, saying, "I'm so proud of you, brother," and former Wild coach Jacques Lemaire shared a video message during the first period.
"I'm going to look at it once I get home and by myself and can really think about it and all that," said Koivu, who became just the 55th player in NHL history to play his first 1,000 games with the same team.
Aside from getting the traditional silver stick to commemorate 1,000 games, Koivu was gifted a crystal, a watch and a vacation for him and his family. Children's Minnesota, where Koivu is the title sponsor of two private patient rooms, also received a $5,000 donation.
