The city of Montreal has a unique relationship to the sport of hockey, and Saku Koivu has a unique relationship to all who have worn the uniform of the Montreal Canadiens. It goes beyond the fact that his sweater had a “C” stitched on it longer than anyone else’s – though, if that sounds trivial, it would be wise to invest 35 minutes, 44 seconds watching or listening to Koivu’s press conference (below).
The Ducks center will play in the Bell Centre Saturday for the first time as an opposing player. On Friday, Koivu – who called the arena “like home ” – took time to take questions from the media. There were many.
A transcript would only do partial justice to the mutual respect between Koivu and the city that shines through, so here’s the full video (courtesy of the Ducks’ website):