OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN…GO CAPTAIN

I’ve noticed heightened talk about trading our captain and leader Saku Koivu, and I thought this would be a good time for my two cents or five nickels on the subject. Captain K is undoubtedly going through rough times on the ice. His fight against cancer, and various injuries over the years (most notable his eye) have taken their tolls on his chiselled and well tuned body. He’s no longer the speedy trickster on the ice, and more often than not he seems to have lost his touch out there. With all this in mind I can see why many media “gurus” and fans have jumped on the “trade him while he’s still got some worth” band-wagon. Being the unbiased and level headed gent that I am, I will respectfully accept their opinions, and call them all selfish, unappreciative and spoiled boob-heads with less integrity than they have poor hockey sense.

Saku Koivu’s athletism, even today, is far superior to your average player in the NHL. His work ethic and sportsmanship is inspiring to watch, and his leadership qualities are oozing from all seven orifices in his body (I’ll let you figure out where they are). Through his polite, respectful, yet frank and honest ways, he has lead this team both on and off the ice for almost a decade. It’s no surprise that as a Captain of the organisation, he holds one of the longer terms of service, and is the first European to wear the embroidered “C” on the jersey.

Over the years he has been burdened with young players on his line, when player of his calibre usually should be flanked by experienced veterans, and thus reeking havoc on the opposing team. He had every right to publicly disagree with these decisions and criticise the coach, and he could have also lost interest and motivation. However, his work ethic is such that he took all given challenges with a smile, did what he could to help the team, and did it to the best of his abilities.

Koivu has been left to dry and scrutinized by the fan base and media on more than one occasion during his service here. Yet he kept turning the other cheek and served this team in more ways than an athlete should. Saku gave more of himself to the organisation than any player since our last cup, and more than all the players combined in today’s roster. To point fingers at him, and treat him as trade bait “while he still has a value on the market” is not only demeaning to him as an athlete, but undermines everything he has done for the this organisation, the fans and this city over his career. I find this attitude of “what have you done for me lately”, rather unfair, brutish, unjust, and all in all not disheartening. Saku Koivu deserves every right to finish his career in Montreal, should he choose, and he has earned the right to do it as our Captain.

At the very least our dear captain deserves our unquestionable support through the rough times. There is no way he leaves this city without a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth, unless he asks for a trade to try and win the cup with, say Detroit, before his career is over. However barring such a nightmarish scenario, Saku is here to stay because thankfully we have GM who is well versed in the art of loyalty. Bob Gainey fully understands the ramifications of dumping players in the long run. What most has been, wanna be, Epsilonic arm chair GMs forget is that in the pursuit of free agents, issues like this are worth a lot more than taxes, language issues, or media.