Now 48 and 50 years old, their glory days for the Montreal Canadiens are far behind them, but their impact will forever be etched in the minds of fans.
Alexei Kovalev and Saku Koivu complemented each other beautifully, Koivu was the prototypical number one centre, smart defensively and a dual-threat who could contribute to the offence on a nightly basis.
Kovalev was the offensive-minded, puck on a string offensive dynamo, who could get fans out of their seats with a simple flick of his wrists, and a head fake. The pair were a nightmare for opponents because they could turn defence into offence with regularity.
Koivu was drafted in the first round of the 1993 NHL Draft with the 21st overall selection by the Canadiens, while Kovalev was drafted by the New York Rangers with the 15th overall selection in the 1991 draft. Kovalev was acquired by the Habs via trade during the 2004 season, in return the Rangers received Jozef Balej and a 2004 second-round pick. He would suit up for 12 games, recording a goal and two assists, and adding six goals, four assists and ten points through 11 playoff games.
The 2004-05 NHL lockout rolled around for the next season, so Koivu and Kovalev would have to wait a full season before reuniting. Koivu played the ’04-’05 campaign in Finland’s SM-Liiga with TPS, and just like Koivu, Kovalev returned home, playing for AK Bars Kazan in the top Russian league. The pair certainly kept any rust off during their time playing overseas, and fortunately were back in Montreal for the following campaign.
In ’05-’06, Kovalev was able to show Canadiens fans what he was all about, collecting 23-42-65 totals through 69 games. He merely missed out on posting point-per-game totals, but that didn’t matter; as his play had the attention of the Habs’ brass. The skill he had was showcased on an almost nightly basis, and when he would turn it on, he would make opponents look silly.
Koivu, the Canadiens captain from ’99 through ’08-’09, and his numbers never exactly leapt off the stats sheet, but he was a brilliant two-way guy, and his effectiveness was so much more than producing points. With that said, he did manage to score 17-45-62 totals, suiting up for 72 games. He lead that up the following season, scoring 75 points (22g-53a) the best point output of his NHL career.
The ’08-’09 season was their last together, as both left for another franchise, their time together was short, but they were fan favourites.
Through four seasons playing together, Kovalev posted 102-159-261 totals through 302 games. Koivu, dealt with a cancer diagnosis, and Habs fans were so supportive of him, which added another wrinkle to his time with the Habs, he played 295 games, and he posted 71-172-243 totals.
The Finnish two-way center and the Russian silky smooth winger were a wonderful duo, and for my money, they were integral pieces on the Canadiens’ offence. If the Canadiens can find another duo that can affect the game these two did, they will be well off. Especially considering the possibilities with all the youth brewing at the Bell Centre, both defensively and offensively.
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