Aatos Koivu, Saku's son, made his professional debut in the Liiga, Finland's top division, on Wednesday evening at the age of 17.
If his baptism of fire came in his team TPS Turku's 4-0 defeat against Jukurit Mikkeli, we still have to remember that the teenager was playing against adults.
Koivu played on the team's third line and finished the game with a -2 differential.
He spent 13 minutes and 37 seconds on the ice and won nine of the 17 faceoffs in which he participated.
He didn't take any shots on goal.
The son of the former Montreal Canadiens captain also played for TPS Turku's U18 and U20 teams this season, in addition to taking part in the U18 World Cup. It was this participation in the international tournament that truly made Koivu a star in his country.
In the 2023-2024 season, Koivu scored 23 points in 15 games in the U20; a performance that certainly earned him that professional audition.