Junior summer camp: Aatos Koivu wears his father’s #11

In the most recent draft, the Canadiens selected Aatos Koivu in the third round (70th overall). Normally, a third-round pick wouldn’t get that much attention… but considering he’s Saku’s son, there’s a sentimental aspect to it in Montreal.

He is the son of a former Habs captain, after all.

Of course, young Koivu will have to chart his own course, but he’ll always be associated with his father. That’s part of the game, for better or for worse.

The youngster is currently at the junior summer camp in preparation for the upcoming WJC, where Koivu will be hoping to break into the Finnish line-up. And for nostalgic fans, the number Koivu wears will probably strike a chord.

Aatos wears #11, which his father Saku greatly popularized in Montreal.

#GoHabsGo Daily:

– Prospect Aatos Koivu is wearing No.11 at the World Junior Summer Showcase.
– Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings (No.10 to No.6).
– Ivan Demidov workout video.https://t.co/3raegXDrM2

– Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) August 3, 2024

Of course, it’s a nice touch to see the name “Koivu” on a #11 jersey. Normally, we see him wearing #9, #12 or #27 more often, but for summer camp, he wanted to wear #11.

Did he decide to wear it after being drafted by the Habs? Possibly.

That said, beyond his number, it’s the young Koivu’s performances that are the main focus of this camp. And yesterday, against Canada, Steven Ellis was among those who felt that the young Finn had his best game of the camp.

Some see it differently… but he still scored an assist that could well have been a goal.

Canada and Sweden skated off to wins in the penultimate day of World Junior Summer Showcase action.

A look at the day’s top players, including Tij Iginla, Beckett Sennecke, William Whitelaw and Theo Lindstein:https://t.co/qDLZIW08zl #WJSS

– Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) August 2, 2024

Obviously, the day when young Aatos will be in Montreal is still a long way off. Over the next few years, he’s likely to perfect his development between Europe and the AHL, and we may see him in Montreal in a few years at the earliest.

That said, if he does end up playing with the big club, seeing him wear #11 would be a beautiful moment… assuming it happens when Brendan Gallagher is no longer in town (or when he lets him keep his number).

In Overtime

– Why are efficiency rates dropping in the NHL?

As NHL save percentages dip, it’s tough to build an above-average goalie tandem. @pool88 analyses the trend: https://t.co/cCSSk6LNh9

– The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) August 3, 2024