KOIVU NAMED TO AHL ALL-STAR CLASSIC

Finland native carries seven-game point streak into this weekend’s play

HOUSTON, Texas – The Houston Aeros, along with the American Hockey League, announced Thursday that Aeros center Mikko Koivu (MEE-koh, KOY-voo) has been selected to the PlanetUSA AHL All-Star Team for the 2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic. The 2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic will take place at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H., home of the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs. The event gets underway on Sunday, Feb. 13, with the 2005 AHL All-Star Skills Competition at 6 p.m. (ct). The annual All-Star Game follows at 6 p.m. (ct) on Monday, Feb. 14, and will be televised live nationally on ESPN2 in the United States and on Rogers Sportnet in Canada.

The team comprises players born outside of Canada. AHL fans determined the starting lineup via on-line balloting at theahl.com, while a committee of AHL coaches selected the remainder of the roster.

The 21-year-old Koivu, rated the top prospect in the Minnesota Wild organization by The Hockey News, has compiled 24 points (12-12=24) for the Aeros in only 28 games. Koivu missed 12 games following an appendectomy on October 18. Koivu, in his first season in North America, carries a seven-game point streak into this Saturday’s game against Chicago, the longest such streak by an Aero in two seasons. Koivu ranks 12th in the AHL and sixth in the Western Conference in shooting percentage (20.3 percent).

"I'm proud of Mikko because anytime a player comes over from Europe, the transition encompasses not only hockey, but the lifestyle and the language," said Aeros head coach Todd McLellan. "To go through that right off the bat, it kind of reflects on how serious he takes this game."

"I know it's a great honor," said Koivu. "There are great players all over the league. That's the best thing about it. I look forward to playing with good friends of mine like (Chicago's) Kari Lehtonen and (Edmonton's) Tony Salmelainen."

Koivu, 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, participated in World Cup 2004 for Finland, where he helped his native country to a second-place finish. Koivu is the younger brother of Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu. He played four pro seasons in Finland for Turku, coached by his father Jukka. Koivu turned pro at the age of 17, in the 2000-01 season.

"In baseball, they call players like Mikko five-tool players," added McLellan. "He's got all the tools. He can play the game any way on a particular night. He can be a finesse player. He can be rugged in the corners. He can skate, he can shoot and he handles the puck well. He understands the game. In some sense he's like Carlos Beltran (outfielder for the New York Mets)."

Koivu was the sixth overall selection in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, making him the second highest draft-choice in Minnesota Wild franchise history. Only Marian Gaborik (third overall in 2000) was a higher choice than Koivu.