Columbus Blue Jackets center Mikko Koivu has announced his retirement from the NHL. The 16-year veteran signed a one-year deal with the Jackets for 2020-21 and skated in seven games for the team, registering one goal and one assist, but he felt like his contributions just weren't good enough anymore. "I haven't been able to get to the level of play that I need to be true to myself and fair to my teammates, so the time is right for me to retire from hockey," explained Koivu, who finished his career with 206 goals and 711 points. The long-time Minnesota Wild captain holds multiple franchise records, including regular season points (709) and assists (504).
Columbus Blue Jackets center Mikko Koivu started the scoring in Thursday's 3-2 shootout win over Florida, netting his first goal for the team and making it two points in two games. The former Minnesota captain started off his career in Columbus with an assist in Tuesday's loss to the Cats. Max Domi scored a power-play marker for the Jackets and Alexandre Texier had the only successful attempt in the shootout. Koivu is skating as a fourth-line center so his streak won't last for long, but it's good to see the veteran having success straight away at his new club. He'll face his longtime rivals the Blackhawks on Friday, looking to add to his 38 points he has picked up against Chicago in 57 career games.
