MONTREAL -- Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu said Thursday that the stomach cancer that has sidelined him this season was in full remission.

	Canadiens captain Saku Koivu said Thursday he has finished his cancer treatments and is in remission.

The 27-year-old Koivu said he planned to start working out and could return by the end of the season in April, if he can maintain a schedule of six workouts a week.

"The way the guys are playing right now, I'll have to ask coach (Michel Therrien) if I can even make the team," Koivu said jokingly.

Team doctor David Mulder said it was unlikely Koivu could play this season, but added "nothing's impossible" and noted that Koivu had so far "proved us wrong in every case" with his recovery.

Mulder said a test Wednesday showed no trace of disease or tumor, but that the cancer could recur in the next five years.

Koivu has completed chemotherapy treatment to combat the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosed in his stomach after he fell ill just before training camp in September.

"It's been tough for them, but they've been there for me and I think when we found out about the results, I think they were even happier than I was," he said of his family.

His teammates also were overjoyed when they found out, Koivu said.

"I was able to see the happiness on their faces and it made me really feel part of the team, to feel that I'm more than welcome to come and join the team again," he said.

Koivu, who has struggled through various injuries in six seasons with the Canadiens, had 17 goals and 30 assists in 54 games last season.