Saku Koivu, the longtime Habs team captain and local role model to thousands of fans, officially ended his 13-year run in Montreal by signing a one-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks.
Terms of Wednesday's deal were not released.
Koivu made US$4.75 million with Montreal last season, finishing third on the team with 50 points (16 goals, 34 assists) in 65 games. The diminutive forward was deemed expendable after the Canadiens acquired Scott Gomez from the New York Rangers and signed free agent Mike Cammalleri earlier this month.
The move to Anaheim reunites Koivu with fellow Finnish player Teemu Selanne. The duo helped Finland earn a silver medal at the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin, Italy.
`I'm very excited to join the Ducks this coming season,' Koivu said in a statement. `I'm also looking forward to a full season with Teemu Selanne as a teammate.'
Koivu, a native of Turku, Finland, played his first 13 seasons in a Canadiens uniform. He was named team captain on Sept. 30, 1999 and held the title for the last 10 years, equalling Jean Beliveau as the longest-serving captain in Canadiens history.
- With files from The Canadian Press -
