Thursday, July 21, 2011

Mike Yeo to Visit Niklas Backstrom and Mikko Koivu


General Manager Chuck Fletcher and new head coach Mike Yeo traveled to Finland so that Yeo could meet with captain Mikko Koivu and goalie Niklas Backstrom. Yeo felt it was necessary to go see them so that he could tell them what his plans were as the new head coach. He knows that these two guys have a huge influence in the locker room so I think it was a really good idea to go out and meet them and show them how much you believe in the guys. Hopefully those two buy in to his new system quickly so the Wild can get off to a fast start. This is what Yeo said to the Minneapolis Startribune about why it was so important to get to know Koivu on a personal level:

"It’s more personal," Yeo said. "But there are a number of things that I have to run past him. Some ideas that we have. I think it’s real important when you’re a coach that there are certain things when you come in you kind of say, ‘This is how it’s going to be.’ There’s also a number of things that you have to get the feedback of some of the guys, with their routines or whatever it is. So there’s a number of things I have to run past him, a number of things I want to prepare him for and let him know what he can expect. More importantly, it’s just a matter of getting there and starting to develop a relationship. I have high hopes and high expectations for Mikko. I’d like to start laying that groundwork right now."

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