NHL: The best captain in each team’s history (Updated 2023)

Best NHL captain from each franchise: Minnesota Wild – Mikko Koivu

Once the Minnesota Wild drafted center Mikko Koivu back in the 2001 NHL Draft, they knew after doing their due diligence, they would land a high-quality player. Not only did Koivu exceed all initial expectations, but he ended up being a cornerstone for the franchise for over 15 years.

Koivu was named team captain just seven years after being drafted and truly made a name for himself once he was able to put his imprint across the entire team. He was all about setting plays up for his teammates as he still holds the franchise record for most points at over 700.

Perhaps most known for his long tenure with the Wild came at how many games he’s played at over 1,000. He was a mainstay for the Wild and was their team captain for over 11 years but unfortunately, his time with the Wild ended right on the cusp of when he would officially retire.

It’s a shame he couldn’t end his entire career with the Wild as an unfortunate torn ACL injury in 2019 sidelined him until he ended up hitting free agency. He landed with the Columbus Blue Jackets only to barely play with them for a handful of games before officially announcing his retirement. Make no mistake about it, he’ll forever be remembered as a member of the Wild for everything he did for the team, going down as their best team captain in franchise history.