There was always a special connection between former Canadiens captain Saku Koivu and the fans of Montreal. Koivu, who retired after finishing his NHL career with Anaheim, was honored Thursday night before the Canadiens dropped a 2-1 decision to the Ducks in a matchup of his former teams. Koivu received a nearly five-minute standing ovation as part of a 30-minute pregame tribute. That brought tears to the eyes of the 40-year-old Koivu, who retired after spending the last five years of his 18-year NHL career in Anaheim. "I always felt that I was respected as a player and for the way I played the game, but what makes me feel humble was the way I was loved by the fans," Koivu said. "Sometimes you think about why it happened, why they took me as their own. Read more http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/12049491/montreal-canadiens-honor-former-captain-saku-koivu