In an interview with TSN yesterday, Montreal Canadiens prospect Aatos Koivu spoke about what it means to play professional hockey in Canada. The Finnish prospect said he was surprised to receive direct messages welcoming him to the Canadiens organization from fans on Instagram.
While Koivu is the son of former Canadiens captain Saku Koivu, his father left La Belle Province when his son was only three. This may lead to his unfamiliarity with Canadian competition. In the interview, he referred to what he had been told versus experienced.
“I’ve heard only good things,” Koivu told the TSN reporter. “He’s (my father) been talking a bit about Canada… The fans, the rink, the place, he loved it there.”
Koivu was also asked about the pressure of playing in the Montreal hockey market.
“I think I’ve always been pretty good under pressure. It motivates me to be better and be a better version of myself… It’s a good thing for me and I see it as a positive.”
Koivu was selected in the third round of the 2024 draft, 70th overall. He spent most of last season on the TPS U20 team of the U20 SM-sarja league in Finland, scoring 16 goals and tallying 31 points in 28 regular season games.
His father played in 1124 NHL games with both the Canadiens and Anaheim Ducks organizations, scoring 255 goals and notching 577 assists for a total of 832 points.
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