Wild's Koivu made great strides

Mikko Koivu tries not to draw attention, but he can show up anywhere at anytime.

If you look carefully, you can find the Wild's third-year center moseying around St. Anthony Main or enjoying a cup of joe and blueberry muffin at one of his favorite coffee shops in Nordeast or the Warehouse District.

You can spot him speedwalking across the Stone Arch Bridge, where he marvels at the gorgeous Minneapolis skyline and takes pleasure in the stunning scenery that engulfs and borders each side of the Mississippi River. He often roams Nicollet Mall aimlessly and pops into his favorite store, Len Druskin, where he plops down a credit card for the latest in cool, stylish threads.

Yes, Koivu can show up anywhere at anytime, but you'll have to really, really look. With headphones in and music blaring, Koivu usually is in a trance trying to escape into a world of his own thoughts so his entire life isn't consumed by one-timers, body checks and wins and losses.

"The amount of games we play and we practice a lot, I just need to get away from that," Koivu says as he bites into a muffin and washes it down with a sip of dark roast.

"I like to watch some games, but my first year here, I got the NHL package on TV and that was way too much for me. I couldn't handle that anymore.

"Now, I just like to get my mind off hockey."

On the ice and at the rink, Koivu, who hails from Turku, Finland, also attempts to avoid the limelight. Besides being incredibly modest, Koivu is cautious, frightened that speaking in a second language could mean his words be misconstrued.

He has witnessed this firsthand his entire life, watching how anything older brother, Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu, says can blow up into Quebec's Controversy of the Week. Look no further than last month when Saku had to hold a news conference to clarify comments he made to the French newspaper, La Presse, before training camp.

Saku was quoted as saying the Canadiens could make the playoffs but not win the Stanley Cup, which turned into a weeklong firestorm in Montreal.

"After watching my brother, I just kind of learned how to be careful. I learned to keep a distance," Mikko Koivu said.

As reluctant as he is though, by the look of things (see exhibition hat trick vs. Chicago while wearing captain's 'C'), the 24-year-old is readying to burst into the spotlight.

After a 20-goal, 54-point sophomore campaign (which doesn't include his league-leading eight shootout goals) that was good for the second-largest point increase in the NHL, Koivu begins the 2007-08 season tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks armed with confidence, one of the team's most significant roles and a desire to lead the Wild to a deep playoff run.

The Wild is so convinced of Koivu's maturation, the team more than tripled his salary by signing him to a four-year, $13 million deal in June.

"The last half of last year, you could see the player he's turning into," veteran Wes Walz said. "He just does everything well. He's good on faceoffs, he's good defensively, he's got an outstanding shot, he can make a play, he plays with an edge, he can play in any situation you want.

"I know if I coached a team, it'd be pretty exciting to have a player like him, because he can do absolutely everything. He's got so much more confidence now. You can just see the way he carries the puck now; there's a different swagger about how he approaches the game, about how he plays."

Koivu says the reason is simple. He's finally at ease in Minnesota, not only on the ice and at the rink, where he knows and adores his teammates, but away from the rink where he has become accustomed to life in a foreign country.

Starting to feel like home

Most hockey fans can't relate to how big an adjustment it is for Europeans to move to the United States. Everything is new, especially the language, which Koivu constantly is trying to master by asking close friends and teammates such as defenseman Kurtis Foster, "Did I say it right? Am I saying it wrong?"

Even though Koivu was expected to be a star simply because he was the sixth overall draft pick in 2001, he needed time to adapt.

Last month, Koivu had an epiphany at roughly 35,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean as he flew back to the Twin Cities.

"It was the first time I really felt that I was coming home," Koivu said. "When I first turned pro, I missed going back to play with my friends in Finland. I just didn't feel as comfortable.

"But now you know the system, you know the staff, you know the trainers, other than Sean Hill and Eric Belanger, who fit in great, there were few changes so you know your teammates. You know what it feels like when you first come on the ice at Xcel in front of the fans. Around town, you know where you're going, you know where to find things, if you need help, you know who to call.

"When you come from Europe -- from Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, whatever -- it's a big difference coming to the USA and living in a city that's almost bigger than your whole country. It takes time. Some guys can do it right away, some guys it takes a few years. Me, it took a few years, and it's coming. I feel like it's really coming."

Koivu's development is visible everywhere. During his rookie season in 2005-06, he was quiet, was learning English, was unsure of himself, and it translated on the ice. Last season, he was louder, always laughing and tossing barbs at teammate, more at ease, and it translated on the ice.

"He has that magnetism about him where everybody just kind of comes toward him," Foster said. "They want to talk to him or hang out with him or go out with him or be on his line. Everybody wants to be around him. He's one of the best people you'd ever meet, the type of guy I want at my wedding."

Shaped by his family

Koivu is one of the most respected teammates, not only because of his immense talent and competitiveness on the ice, but because of how good a person he is -- the way he treats fans, the way he's always there for teammates, the way he secretly hands $100 gift certificates for doing postgame radio interviews to dressing-room attendants.

"His rough-and-tough exterior doesn't quite cover up how soft he is," teammate Mark Parrish said. "You kind of flock to him right away. Right when I first saw him, I knew he was something special, so it doesn't surprise me how good he's becoming.

"He has this intensity about him; he wants to be one of the best players, he wants to play in every situation, he wants to be the one that comes up with the big hit, the big goal, whatever the team needs to win."

Koivu says his entire makeup is due to his upbringing. His parents, Jukka, a former renowned Finnish hockey coach, and mother, Tuire, who will be at tonight's game, were supportive but stern.

"All I wanted to do was play hockey, and if it wasn't for my mom and dad, I wouldn't go to school at all probably," Koivu said, laughing. "They forced me to do that, and I appreciate that now. My parents supported my hockey, but school was first -- trust me.

"Things were kind of tough as a kid, and my friends and family were always there."

Things were especially tough because he always was in the shadow of his supremely talented brother, a legend in Finland and the Canadiens' captain since 1999.

"We're really close, but he's 8½ years older and [because he's] the most popular athlete in your whole country as a kid, it's tough, I won't lie," Koivu said. "Kids at school, they kind of knew who you were and everybody wants you to be your brother. I didn't really care what people thought, and we talked inside the family and I learned to live with it.

"It took a few years. It's kind of my time to play the game. It's going to be different. In a few years, he's going to stop playing hockey and maybe I won't just be considered [Saku's little] brother. A lot of the older Finnish guys will be leaving, and it'll be up to us younger guys to continue what they've done."

Learning from veteran teammates

Koivu takes the role as protégé seriously. He says he's constantly watching every move his veteran teammates make.

"I was kind of nervous when I met Mark Parrish last summer," Koivu said. "I still remember that. I went to dinner with Foster, and Parrish was there. I love his game, and I knew he'd been around for 10 years. I didn't know what I'd say to him. I meet him, and he makes you feel like you know him forever.

"Brian Rolston, he probably doesn't even notice that if he says something to me, it really means a lot. Just the way he handles things. Wes, I just like to watch how he takes care of himself. Nummy [Petteri Nummelin] and [Keith] Carney, even if they're D-men, I'm always watching them. You pick up a lot, and I think it [molds] you."

Koivu is also known for his dry sense of humor and practical jokes. He and hotel roommate Stephane Veilleux always are playing jokes on each other, such as putting toothpaste on the door handle or tossing all the furniture onto the other's bed.

Koivu hogs the remote, and the two are known to wrestle each other in full suits to see who can get out the door first prior to meeting the team bus.

But apparently there's a dark side to Koivu, too.

"He's the only person more miserable in the mornings than I am," Parrish said. "We have an ongoing battle between the two of us who comes in grumpier. If it weren't for coffee, Mikko would be a horrible guy to hang out with."

Koivu took exception, saying, "I never knew what the word 'grumpy' is until Parrish told me, and that only describes him. Like today. Just remember, Saturday, Sept. 29, and Mark Parrish didn't have a smile this morning."

MEET THE WILD

The team eschewed major changes, but a glance at the roster shows a lineup that underwent a few subtle alterations. C7

TOP PICK VISITS

With the Blackhawks in town for the Wild's opener, fans will get a look at Patrick Kane, the No. 1 overall pick in the NHL draft. C8

Michael Russo • mrusso@startribune.com