St. Paul, MN (Sports Network) - The Minnesota Wild will have captain Mikko Koivu in the lineup when they host the Northwest Division-leading Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
Koivu missed eight games with a shoulder injury suffered at St. Louis on January 14. The injury forced him out of the All-Star Game.
"Very excited and a little bit nervous, too, but it's a good feeling," Koivu said about returning.
The 28-year-old center leads the team with 24 assists and ranks second with 33 points.
In other news concerning the Wild, Clayton Stoner was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Head coach Mike Yeo describes the defenseman as being week-to-week.
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