Ducks land veteran center Saku Koivu

Family harmony came first and last for Saku Koivu. So much so that he opted for a less lucrative deal with the Ducks, worrying that his presence in Minnesota could overshadow his brother Mikko.

Not would. But could.

Just the hint of that possibility had the longtime Montreal Canadiens captain signing a one-year contract worth $3.25 million, joining his Finnish countryman and friend, Teemu Selanne.

It was a seminal moment for Koivu. The 34-year-old free-agent center spent his entire NHL career with the Canadiens, and his departure signals a change in organizational philosophy in Montreal that he knew was coming. General Manager Bob Gainey had talked about "the business decision" before the free-agency period opened July 1.

Koivu's popularity in Montreal was never clearer than April 9, 2002, the night he returned for his first game after cancer treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and received an eight-minute standing ovation.

"I'm going to miss Montreal," Koivu said on a conference call with reporters Wednesday. "I made a lot of friends, with hockey and also outside of hockey. I spent 14 years of my life there. I went there when I was 20 years old. I experienced pretty much everything in my adult life [there].

"Sometimes, in life, you need a new challenge. And this is going to be a new chapter in my life."

Shared with Selanne, who announced recently that he would play for another season.

Selanne, longing for an adequate replacement in the post-Andy McDonald era, already had spoken to Koivu about playing together, long before it became clear Koivu wasn't in Montreal's plans.

"Last year, we kind of joked about it, 'If you become a free agent, it'd be cool to play together,' " Koivu said. "But he felt he didn't want to push me. He wanted me to make my own decision. And obviously, I didn't know if Teemu was going to continue until not long ago."

And Selanne wasn't about to head east.

"Teemu and his family love the sun too much," Koivu said, joking. "I had to come and move all the way to California to play with him."

Though Ottawa and the New York Rangers were said to be interested, Minnesota appeared the only serious rival for Koivu's services. The Wild made a big push with a multi-year offer, but Koivu turned down the bid for personal reasons.