As anticipated all summer after GM Chuck Fletcher and coach Todd Richards made clear the years of monthly captaincy rotations were history, Mikko Koivu was named the first-ever permanent captain of the Wild today.
The natural born leader, who grew up in the same household as longtime former Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu, has the respect of his teammates.
Why did they have a rotaing captain under Jaques Lemaire?
Team was brand new and he thought that it was a better idea to keep rotating it to allow for everyone to hold it based on performance on and off the ice instead of trying to find someone at the get go to be the Captain when none of the players had been playing with one another at all. There were a few people along the way that probably could have worn it permanently but he always felt it was better to reward those who were working hard
Team was brand new and he thought that it was a better idea to keep rotating it to allow for everyone to hold it based on performance on and off the ice instead of trying to find someone at the get go to be the Captain when none of the players had been playing with one another at all. There were a few people along the way that probably could have worn it permanently but he always felt it was better to reward those who were working hard
So if was stll coaching the wild this year would he have named the C?
Also the team isn't new. Why did he continue even after year 3 or 4?
So if was stll coaching the wild this year would he have named the C?
Also the team isn't new. Why did he continue even after year 3 or 4?
JL was a very strong promoter at using it as a reward to those who were doing well. It was also a way of giving short term responsibility to the younger guys so they could start develop their leadership qualities. So yes, it never would have gone away so long as JL was still the coach. I'm actually shocked he didn't do it in New Jersey when he got back there either.
JL was a very strong promoter at using it as a reward to those who were doing well. It was also a way of giving short term responsibility to the younger guys so they could start develop their leadership qualities. So yes, it never would have gone away so long as JL was still the coach. I'm actually shocked he didn't do it in New Jersey when he got back there either.
He probably didn't want to take it from Jamie Langenbrunner.
