Wild activates captain Mikko Koivu from injured reserve

Minnesota Wild center Mikko Koivu has been activated from injured reserve and was expected to play Thursday night against the Vancouver Canucks at Xcel Energy Center.

Koivu, the Wild's captain, suffered a shoulder injury on Jan. 14 at St. Louis and missed eight games. Koivu, who was elected to the All-Star Game but could not play because of the injury, is second on the Wild with 33 points (nine goals, 24 assists) and has a plus-9 rating in 41 games.

The Wild also placed defenseman Clayton Stoner (leg) on injured reserve and assigned forward Jed Ortmeyer to the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League after he cleared waivers.

Stoner has three assists in 39 games for the Wild this season.

Ortmeyer, 33, has one assist in 10 games with the Wild and seven goals and eight assists and a plus-8 rating in 31 games with Houston.

Judd Zulgad is a columnist for 1500ESPN.com. He hosts Judd & Dubay from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays and "Saturday Morning SportsTalk" from 10 a.m. to noon on 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
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