Have you ever been entranced in your work, just in the zone, unaware of all your surroundings and then suddenly you’re conscious again with the thought, “How the heck did that song get onto my iPod?” 

I just lived that moment, but I won’t tell you the song.

In the latest example of don’t believe everything you read, Mikko Koivu wasn’t a lock for the All-Star Game. Actually, Koivu’s snubbing ticked off his Wild teammates today. It was pretty much the talk of the locker room. As one player said to me, “You might have been wrong, but it’s not your fault. You were just using common sense.”

Koivu seemed genuinely disappointed. After all, it’s in Montreal.

Doug Risebrough was extremely displeased Koivu wasn’t going. He said it’s a flawed system where every team must have one representative. He said that just means it’s not a true All-Star Game. He also complained about the press release saying it was in consultation with the league’s GM’s. He said he never got a call, and obviously, neither did all the GM’s he’s talked to that know not to ask for Mikko Koivu in a trade.

Niklas Backstrom was very humbled. He posed for pictures with his All-Star jersey (see below. In fact, Flyers PR took pictures of the beat writers interviewing Backstrom, but maybe I’ll just throw that on my Facebook)

Lots of funny lines going around. Martin Skoula, one of the Wild’s steadiest defensemen this season (you heard me), told Backstrom that he should just wear the jersey until the All-Star Game “24/7.”

Josh Harding kiddingly asked the trainers for a new stall away from Backstrom. Trainer Tony DaCosta was chirping goalie coach Bob Mason, maybe the proudest guy in the room today, that “Mase wants a jersey with his name on it.”

Backstrom talked a lot about how much he hated hockey in December. He joked that he started to wonder if he should go get a new job or something, but then he talked about how proud he is of the way the team’s playing the past two weeks and how it must continue.

He talked refreshingly about how much he wants to stay in Minnesota. He said if it ain’t broke, why fix it, and how the Wild gave him his first shot and how much he loves playing in front of a full house every night with educated hockey fans and how much he cares about his teammates, etc. This was far from cliched stuff. It actually was goose bump-inducing.

Backstrom is just a great story. Guy comes here two years ago from Finland as a 29-year-old third goalie. Nobody even thought he’d make the team, taking for granted that Harding would be Manny Fernandez’s backup.

But Harding got hurt, then the Wild decided it would be better for Harding’s development if he played everyday in Houston. Backstrom’s first three NHL wins came in relief, and then, Fernandez sprains his knee and the rest is history. Backstrom saved the Wild’s season, shared the Jennings Trophy with Fernandez and is now an All-Star (that’s the quick version of his ride to fame).

And now, Backstrom could hit the motherload this summer as the NHL’s king free agent goalie. Of course, that’s if he’ll get there. Doug Risebrough was as evasive as ever when we grilled him today on Backstrom’s contract situation.

My gut though is that there’s been recent conversation. Backstrom, as of three weeks ago, said the Wild hadn’t contacted his agent. Today he said we had to ask the Wild or his agent, and that he didn’t want to think about his contract situation, which makes you think something’s going on. Also, Risebrough kind of let a little subtle, “The best thing for me to do is do it in a strategic, quiet manner, so I’m not commenting any further.”

That sounds to me like there’s been conversation. “Do” what? He couldn’t be traded until next month anyway (limited no-trade expires), and I just can’t imagine the Wild’s about to trade Backstrom if it’s in the playoff hunt.

On the flip side, I did ask Risebrough a lot about whether he just feels he can’t justify giving Backstrom $5 or $6 million when most goalies succeed on the Wild, and he basically concurred with that theory, which you’ll read more about in tomorrow’s story.

And then he had this to say, which makes it sound bad: When it was pointed out to him that it’d be a shame to pluck a guy out of Finland, have him turn out so great and then let him go, Risebrough said, “You guys are not catching modern day hockey. That’s the way it is. Ive been telling you for three years, people are going to be gone, and losing people. That’s what happens. I’m not reacting to this specific situation as I am trying to make everybody understand that when we had Fernandez signed, and everybody thought that was it, all of a sudden Backstrom saved our season. And where did he come from? And that’s not to say it’s easy to find people like that. But you have to be constantly investing and trying to find players because the players have a choice.”

I bet now your heads are really spinning.

To say Risebrough’s getting tired of the local beat writers — especially this one — would be an understatement. When he pointed out how it’s good James Sheppard is learning how to deal with criticism from the media, it was pointed out sarcastically, “See, we are useful.” Risebrough said, “I wouldn’t say that. You’re like a bump in the road that we have to maneuver around — a pothole.”

Oh, fun times. I just roll my eyes when the Wild complains about us. Imagine if this team was in a big market like Toronto, or had electronic media show up daily like, say, Boston or Pittsburgh. Think December would have been fun for them? Give me a break.

I’d say we in the financially-struggling newspaper biz spend A TON of money to cover the Wild, and provide the team — and most importantly its fans — a pretty good service. You know what? You’ll miss us if we’re gone. But as Dennis Miller used to say, “That’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.”

As for practice, ill-stricken Stephane Veilleux was flying commercially into here from Boston today (perhaps he was de-iced for two hours like one member of the traveling media), so he’s not playing tomorrow against the Flyboys. Derek Boogaard didn’t practice, so he’s out, too. So, same lineup, I’d assume, with Big John Scott playing over Erik Reitz.

Here’s Backstrom’s numbers: Backstrom is sixth in the NHL with a .929 save percentage (first among goalies who have played more than 23 games), fourth with 19 wins, fifth with a 2.14 goals against average (first among goalies who have played more than 23 games) and he’s tied for first with five shutouts.

I’ve got to write now. If later on I see I can’t squeeze all today’s good quotes into the Backstrom story, I’ll throw some DVD extra on here.

And you know what? Because you’ve been so good, if you actually got to the bottom of this blog, just so you have something to make funny of me for, the song was Toto’s Africa. But don’t tell anybody, eh, especially the Wild players.

Russo Radio tonight at 6 p.m. CT on KSTP!!!

Goalie coach Bob Mason and Backstrom — Courtesy of Flyers PR.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 at 10:54 am and is filed under Practice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.