Still, in Finland, where hockey news rivals vodka for per capita consumption, even an NHL call isn't answered quickly.
Koivu played hockey at home for the last three years, waiting until the 2004-05 season to jump the great herring barrel of the Atlantic and take the ice with the Houston Aeros.
Mikko seems to have adjusted well in his trade from snow boots to cowboy boots. He scored in his first American Hockey League game on October 15th.
Then fate took an unfortunate turn: Koivu was out of the lineup for the next 12 games due to an appendectomy.
He has made a full recovery. Koivu returned to the ice on November 12th, and now ranks second on the Aeros’ squad with 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists).
The younger brother of Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu, Mikko’s strengths include his size, vision and great playmaking abilities.
With his quick adaptation to the North American style of hockey, and the hope of the NHL that younger players like Koivu will work for the new league caps, our experts like Mikko for a shot at NHL minutes with the Wild in 2005-06.
At least he'll feel more at home in Minnesota where it snows a suitable amount of the time. Koivu is the first entry on this year's FAB50 from the Lone Star state and the Aeros. He comes in clean at number nineteen.
