Montreal Canadiens fans are familiar with the name Koivu, Saku was captain of the Canadiens for nine seasons. Turns out his son, Aatos Koivu is a chip off the old block.
The 17-year-old Finn has some soft hands like his pops, and he used them to dangle a goalie out of his jockstrap, before tucking the puck past him for a nasty tally. He is eligible for next June’s draft, and if he keeps this up he will shoot up the public rankings. He is a right-shot unlike his dad, and Uncle Mikko, who shoots left.
Aatos Koivu, son of Saku, pulled off this SILKY shootout winner for Finland’s U18s 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/KpDff9tbPi
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 9, 2023
Aatos’s goal looked eerily similar to some that Saku had scored. Of course, entering the zone on the opposite side, but the speed, and stickhandling all look familiar. Canadiens fans had seen the move a time or two, and you wonder if the Habs might consider selecting the 17-year-old, should the opportunity present itself.
He is currently playing in the Finnish U20 SM-sarga for TPS U20, and he has eight points (five goals & three assists) in five games of league play. The 5’11”, 165 lbs center is sporting a 1.60 point per game average. He will need to add some weight to his slight frame, but that will come with time as he matures.
Should his positive play continue, he could find himself with a promotion to the Finnish Liiga. The statistics speak for themselves, but there are some extremely talented players who developed in Finland’s hockey system. Guys like Matias Maccelli, Teuvo Teravainen and Aleksander Barkov have spent part of their development years in Finland.
With Oliver Kapanen and Petteri Nurmi already in the Habs system, the Canadiens scouts could keep tabs on the two of them while viewing other players. Aron Kiviharju and Konsta Helenius are also touted to be high picks in the 2024 Draft, so they could get some live viewings of the top prospects. Not only would it be a great story for the Habs to select Saku’s son, but he could end up being a great second-generation NHL player.
Saku left his mark on this franchise, and I can’t think of a better place for Aatos to carve out an NHL career, than with the Canadiens.
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