Mikko Koivu acknowledged by the NHL as a nominee for a prestigious award.

Miko Koivu acknowledged by the NHL as a nominee for a prestigious award.

Finally some good news for Minnesota Wild fans! While the team has had a tough go of things in its first round playoff series against the St Louis Blues, the team’s captain Mikko Koivu was acknowledged by the NHL as a nominee for the Selke Trophy.

The trophy is awarded annually to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of hockey, while also maintaining a high-level of all around play. Koivu, despite being a strong defensive player for the duration of his career, is a first time nominee for the major award. He’ll be facing some stiff competition however with former winners Patrice Bergeron and Ryan Kesler also being nominated for the award that will be announced at the NHL Awards on June 21, 2017. 

In 80 games for the Wild this season, Koivu produced 18 goals and 58 points and managed a +27 plus/minus rating. Head coach Bruce Boudreau deployed the big centerman for 41% of defensive zone draws and relied heavily on his checking ability to lead the Wild to an impressive 2016-17 campaign.