Alexei Kovalev admits that Saku Koivu was difficult to deal with at first
During a recent interview with George Laraque's radio show, former Montreal Canadiens sniper Alexei Kovalev admitted that, when he was traded to Montreal, it was initially difficult to deal with captain Saku Koivu.
"I liked Saku. I mean he was definitely a not easy person to deal with," Kovalev told Laraque. "I don't know if he felt that when I came to Montreal, you know, he felt, maybe, like I'm taking his place or whatever."
Kovalev mentioned that he had a discussion with Koivu to clear the air and despite the hostility at first, he was full of praise for his former captain.
"Saku is very dedicated," he said. He was a great captain."
The duo spent parts of five seasons together with the Canadiens, tallying 562 points combined, before they both left the city of Montreal 48 hours apart in the summer of 2009. On July 6th, Kovalev signed with the Ottawa, while Koivu landed with the Anaheim Ducks on July 8th.
Source: Daily Hive Montreal
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