The NHL announced the full roster for the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game on Thursday, and for the Minnesota Wild, they have just one player representing them. Still, that player is deserving, and has been deserving for quite some time. They'll be represented by Mikko Koivu in the game, which will be played on Jan. 29 in Ottawa.
This marks the first time that Koivu has ever been selected for an All-Star game, which seems odd at this point, considering the type of seasons he's had in the past. He's got just nine goals on the season, but also has 24 assists and has a +9 for the year. The numbers don't blow you away, but he's refined his game and has become an all-around player out there, working well with new moving parts like Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley.
Koivu holds the Minnesota Wild franchise record for more assists in a game with four, and in 2009 was named the first ever permanent captain for the Wild. That offseason, Koivu signed a franchise-record seven-year, $47 million contract extension.
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