Saku Koivu saw his retiring teammate, friend and Finnish countryman Teemu Selanne skate around the arena bathed in cheers last week in the Ducks' final regular-season home game.
Moved, of course, Koivu quickly set aside the moment that's so close to home.
Because there are still games to win.
Koivu, 39, could be just as close to retirement as Selanne, but the 18-year NHL veteran center hasn't officially announced his intentions.
"Very private guy, very unselfish — been like that a long time," Koivu's linemate Andrew Cogliano said. "And because he is, he's a leader on this team."
Koivu's team-first mentality has functioned like the quiet heartbeat for the Ducks, who for the first time in franchise history earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and take a 2-0 first-round lead over the Dallas Stars to Texas when the series resumes Monday.
The former Montreal Canadiens captain has never won a Stanley Cup.
Twelve times in his career, Koivu has produced 30 or more assists in a season — he had a personal-best 53 in 2006-07 — and his 11 goals this season marked the 15th time he's reached double figures.
Yet, in this campaign, Koivu's attention has been focused mostly on defense.
Koivu, Cogliano and Daniel Winnik have been charged by Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau with hounding the opponents' first lines, and Koivu's past power-play assignments have been eliminated.
"He was put in a situation he's never been in his entire career, and he's responded very well," Winnik said. "I've never heard him complain one bit about his role with the team. He takes pride in shutting down the other team's top lines."
Koivu has gotten to the point he realizes his duties could well be the difference between elimination and the Cup.
"It comes down to that defensive part of the game, and when we play strong in the neutral zone, we're a real tough team to beat," he said.
That same loyalty to teamwork and fierce inner resolve made Koivu one of Montreal's most beloved players.
In 2001, he was diagnosed with life-threatening non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, recovered and returned to play in April 2002, generating a greeting from Canadiens fans that remains a must-watch YouTube event.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Koivu's return to Anaheim this season was only a matter of him telling General Manager Bob Murray he wanted to play.
As the Ducks sprinted to a 20-0-2 start at home, Koivu and his linemates kept the opposing top lines in check — overall, he was plus-three in goal differential while on the ice.
In January, he made a stunning decision.
Rather than join eventual Olympic hockey tournament MVP Selanne, 43, on Team Finland, four-time Olympic medalist Koivu opted to skip the three weeks in Sochi, Russia, in order to rest for the playoffs.
Boudreau said he was in awe of such commitment.
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