Former NHLer Mikko Koivu joins Blues as European development consultant

A familiar name is returning to the NHL ranks in a hockey operations role.

On Tuesday, St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong announced that longtime NHL forward Mikko Koivu has been hired as a European development consultant.

In his new role, Koivu will be mainly part of the Blues’ player development department, working with the team’s European prospects and draftees.

Koivu will forever be known for his time as a member of the Minnesota Wild. Originally taken sixth overall in the 2001 NHL Draft, the Turku, Finland native spent 15 seasons in the State of Hockey, 11 of which were spent as the captain of the team. He set numerous franchise records during his time with the Wild, still sitting first in games played (1,028), assists (504) and points (709). Koivu helped the Wild reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs nine times, including series wins in 2014 and 2015.

He joined the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2020, after the Wild elected not to re-sign the aging center. However, after just seven games, he announced his retirement from playing. In March 2022, the Wild retired Koivu’s No. 9, becoming the first player in franchise history to receive the honor.

In 1,035 career NHL regular-season games, Koivu scored 206 goals and 505 assists for 711 points. He was a finalist for the Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward in 2016-17.

Internationally, he helped Finland win gold at the 2000 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship and 2011 IIHF Men’s World Championship. He won silver with Suomi at the 2006 Winter Olympics, as well as the 2007 and 2016 Men’s Worlds.

Since retiring, he has been a part-owner of the Liiga squad TPS and served as an assistant coach this past season.