Red Fisher Rules
With Saku Koivu’s signing with the Minnesota Wild to be announced any second now, Red Fisher penned a nice (albeit way too brief) farewell to the former Montreal Canadiens captain at the end of his column today. Classic Fisher here — reminding the crazies in hockey-crazed Montreal of who the true winners are in the organization. He seems to be the calm eye in the storm, and he has been for a long, long time. The only problem with this piece is that it’s way too short.
In recent seasons, he has had a target on his chest for all of the wrong reasons and you know what they are. No current player wore the jersey with more pride. None wanted more to start and finish his career wearing it. Year after year, he was at or near the top of the Canadiens’ points list. He delivered all he had on the ice and gave back to the community more than any player – yet that wasn’t enough.
I have covered this team for more than a half-century, and I cannot recall a night to match the excitement when he returned to the lineup after missing the first 79 games of the 2001-02 season because of his life-threatening battle with cancer. I can’t remember any Canadiens crowd more giddy with pleasure welcoming him back.
…..
“Saku! Saku! Saku!
He raised his stick, waving it as if it were a wand signalling the magic of this moment, and who can say it wasn’t on this night only moments away from the Canadiens’ 80th game of the season? And then … another high and soaring moment: the Ottawa starters skated to their bench, leaving Koivu alone with his starting colleagues.
“Saku! Saku! Saku!”
Now: he’s gone – and I’ll miss him greatly.
So will Canadiens fans.
