Lehkonen cited Koivu's many years proudly representing Finland on the international stage as well as his place in history as the team's first European-born captain as reasons for his choice, but mentioned how touched he was by No. 11's return to action following a battle with Burkitt's lymphoma and the ensuing reaction he received from the loving Montreal crowd when he did.
"It was pretty outstanding," remarked Lehkonen in reference to the nine-minute ovation Koivu received from the Habs' faithful. "He went through so much adversity. I've heard the stories, too, and I know it wasn't easy. It's pretty unreal. He came back and made a heck of a career out of it."
Elsewhere in the room, defenseman Ben Chiarot went with fellow rearguard and former general manager Serge Savard for his pick.
The Hamilton, ON native cited Savard's character, success on the ice, and passion for business and politics when asked to explain his selection.
"I chose Mr. Savard because, from what I'm told, he was a strong, steady, defensive player, a leader in the dressing room, and a good teammate - all things I think are important and that I take a lot of pride in myself. Gervy [Canadiens equipment manager Pierre Gervais] told me that the guys called him 'The Senator' in the room because of his interest in politics and finance," shared the 6-foot-3, 225-pound defenseman. "That was his nickname. He was a part of the Big Three with the Montreal Canadiens, on a lot of successful teams. There are a lot of reasons, but probably for being a leader and a good teammate are big reasons why I chose him."