I always knew where I was going eventually, so it helped me to stay at home for three years. It helped me to develop my game. But it also helped me off the ice. Life here is way different, and I was able to get older.

The following season Koivu was among the NHL leading scorers (13 goals 25 assists and 38 points) before suffering a knee injury on December 7 1996 in a game against Chicago Blackhawks. He went on to score 22 goals and 53 assists in 81 games totaling 75 points to surpass his previous career-high. Hurricanes forward Justin Williams attempted to lift Koivu's stick but instead struck him in the eye.

Koivu served as the Canadiens' captain for ten of his fourteen years with the club which makes his the longest captaincy tenure in team history tied with Jean Béliveau. Koivu was the first European to captain the Montreal Canadiens.