Wild's Koivu out for season with knee injury

Minnesota Wild center Mikko Koivu will miss the remainder of the season because of an ACL tear and meniscus damage in his right knee that will require surgery, the team announced Wednesday. Koivu was injured in the first period Tuesday when he collided head-on with the Buffalo Sabres' Tage Thompson near center ice. The Wild team captain struggled to get back up off the ice and did not return to the game, an eventual 5-4 shootout victory by the Sabres.

The 35-year-old Koivu led the Wild in faceoff wins with 488 and was 14th in the NHL in that category. He scored eight goals and was sixth on the team with 29 points. Koivu is set to undergo surgery Friday, just 18 days after recording his 200th career goal on Jan. 21 against the Vegas Golden Knights. He became the second player in Wild history to reach the milestone.

Koivu leads the Wild all-time in games played, points, assists, shots on goal, power-play points and multi-point games. Also Wednesday, the Wild recalled Joel Eriksson Ek from the Iowa Wild. Eriksson Ek has two goals and five assists in 36 games in Minnesota this season.

--Field Level Media