With the 134th pick in ATD2011, The Regina Pats are pleased to select:
Teemu Selanne, RW
- Stanley Cup (2007)
- NHL 1st All-Star Team (1993, 1997)
- NHL 2nd All-Star Team (1998, 1999)
- Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (2006)
- Three more times top-5 in RW All-Star Voting (3rd, 4th, 5th)
- Top-15 in Hart Voting 6 Times (3rd, 5th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 14th)
- Top-20 in Goals Times 9 Times (1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 10th, 15th, 16th, 18th) -
21st at age 40 in 2011
- Top-20 in Assists 5 Times (4th, 7th, 9th, 9th, 10th)
- Top-20 in Points 10 Times (2nd, 2nd, 5th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 8th, 11th, 13th, 19th)
- Top-5 in PP Goals 5 Times (1st, 1st, 3rd, 3rd, 5th, 5th)
- Top-20 in Playoff Goals 4 Times (12th, 15th, 16th, 18th)
- 6th in Playoff Assists (2007)
- Top-20 in Playoff Points Twice (7th, 19th)
- 37 Points in 39 Best-On-Best International Games
- 59 Points in 51 Other Senior International Games
- Three Olympic Medals (Silver-2006, Bronze-1998, Bronze-2010)
- "Bronze" in 1991 Canada Cup
- Silver at 2004 World Cup
- Two World Championship Medals (Bronze-1999, Bronze-2008)
- Top-5 in scoring at 7 International Tournaments (1st-1991WC, 1st-2006OG, 2nd-1999WC, 3rd-1998WC, 4th-1992OG, 4th-2003WC, 5th-1996WC)
ONLINE SOURCES:
legendsofhockey.net said:
The Winnipeg Jets drafted him in the first round in 1988 and he joined the club four years later. He played for the Jets for three and a half seasons until they traded him to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for Russian defender Oleg Tverdovsky. In 1992-93, "the Finnish Flash" had an incredible rookie season. He won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year hands down leading all other rookies in goals, in power-play goals, in game-winning goals and in total points. His record 76 goals set a new plateau in this category for rookies, eclipsing the old mark set by Mike Bossy by 23 goals.
The third season was decimated by the lockout and Selanne placed 19th in the scoring race. He again surpassed the 100 point mark in the next two years, but in the two after that he was for the second and third time the top goal scorer in the league. The last of these also saw a new trophy named after Maurice "Rocket" Richard established for the goal-scoring leader and Selanne became its first recipient. He has played in the All-Star Game nine times. He has 12 awards to date in the Finnish league. His first two full seasons in the SM-Liiga were bumper years as well, with a total of seven awards.
After parts of six seasons in Anaheim, Selanne joined the San Jose Sharks in the latter stages of the 2000-01 season and represented Finland at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. During the 2002-03 season, Selanne played in his 800th games and reached the 900-point milestone before signing with the Colorado Avalanche as a unrestricted free-agent in the summer of 2003. Upon his arrival with the Avs, Selanne struggled and finished with his lowest point total in his 12-year NHL career, finishing the season with 32 points (16-16-32).
Following the season, he would undergo reconstructive knee surgery and spend the entire 2004-05 lockout season rehabilitating his surgically repaired knee. After returning for a second stint with the Mighty Ducks, Selanne would once again find his touch, leading the club in goals (40) and points (90), his highest total since 1998-99. At the end of the season, Selanne was awarded the Bill Masterson Trophy for his perseverance and dedication to hockey.
In 2006-07, Selanne picked up where he left off tallying 48 goals (third best in the league). His success fuelled the Ducks offence that season as the club set new franchise records in wins (48) and points (110). In the ensuing playoffs, Selanne tallied 15 points in 21 games and helped the Ducks to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The following summer Selanne considered retirement, but returned to the league in January 2008.
On the international stage, Selanne has represented his homeland at the World Junior Championships (1989), the World Championships (1991, 1996, 1999 and 2003), the Winter Olympics (1992, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010), the Canada Cup (1992) and the World Cup (1996, 2002, 2004 and 2008).
At the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the fifth games for Selanne, he became the all-time leader for points scored in the Olympics, surpassing Hockey Hall of Famers Valeri Kharlamov and Harry Watson in the process. In addition to his personal success, Teemu also helped propel the Finnish club to capture the bronze medal.
PUBLISHED SOURCES:
Players – the ultimate A-Z Guide of Everyone Who Has Ever Played in the NHL said:
… Teamed with Paul Kariya, the pair were the most explosive and exciting skaters in the world but with no supporting cast, They often had to go it alone... Internationally, Selanne is accomplished yet wanting. He has been named to every Finnish team for which he qualifies, but despite winning a number of bronze and silver medals. He has yet to hang gold around his neck. At home, he has long been hero and treasure, for both his hockey and his charitable work with children.
Ultimate Hockey said:
Teemu Selanne played five years in his native Finland before coming over to the NHL in 1992. Many NHL coaches are now wishing that he had just stayed there. When asked how to stop him, Edmonton Oilers assistant Bob McCammon ventured, "you hijack Anaheim's plane or just kidnap Teemu when he's supposed to play your team." Calgary Flames head coach Brent Sutter offered, you can never shut him down completely. He's just too good."
... Selanne didn't need an adjustment. The Finnish Flash exploded onto the hockey scene. He annihilated Mike bossy's rookie goalscoring record of 53 by 23 goals! During his sophomore season, Selanne suffered a career threatening injury to his Achilles tendon. Many wondered if he could ever completely recover his blazing speed. In 1994-95. He scored only 22 goals in 45 games, and the quality of his play was in question. In February 1996, he was traded to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks… Anaheim teamed Selanne with their boy wonder, Paul Kariya, which paid immediate dividends. The Finnish flash, far from being damaged goods, finished the 1995-96 season with 40 goals and 108 points.
The Selanne magic returned in full force in 1996-97. Teamed with Kariya for the full year, Selanne counted 51 goals and 58 assists for 109 points. For the second time in his career, he was a first-team All-Star and the ducks advanced to the second round of the playoffs. In 1997-98 due to a holdout and injuries, Kariya played only 22 games, so Selanne was forced to shoulder Anaheim's scoring load. His 52 goals talked all NHL scores, but it wasn't enough to lift the ducks into the postseason. In 1998-99, Selanne showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon. He scored 47 goals and 107 points, and became the first winner of the rocket Richart trophy for the most goals in the regular season.
Selanne is no one trick pony. His main weapon is his speed. "Selanne's speed is unbelievable. He is dangerous a player as there is in the NHL," remarked Philadelphia Flyers GM Bob Clarke. But Selanne is also strong visible and isn't afraid to throw every last one of his 200 pounds around. For a sniper, he passes the puck remarkably well. He should be a star in the NHL well into the next decade.
Who's Who in Hockey said:
known as "the Finnish flash," Teemu Selanne was among the league's most exciting players of the 1990s and for good reason.… Selanne scoring touch and charismatic performances, along with speed and a deadly accurate shot, became instant trademarks.… Selanne and Kariya seemed to read each other's thoughts on the ice, connecting for one highlight reel goal after another, while propelling the Mighty Ducks to their only franchise playoff round victory against the Phoenix coyotes.
Kings of the Ice said:
the runner-up in goals among rookies with 41 was Eric Lindros, aptly named "the next one," but he was completely overshadowed in what was supposed to be his year…
Hockey's Greatest Stars said:
only three quarters of the way through his 1993 rookie season, Teemu Selanne set a record that most pundits agree will never be touched. As a Winnipeg Jets, Selanne shattered Mike bossy's 15-year-old rookie Marco 53 goals, becoming the first newcomer to lead the NHL in goals since Roy can't occur in 1939… The Anaheim Mighty Ducks provided Selanne with a gifted line maintained Paul Kariya, and the to complemented each other right from the start. Both speedsters, they each have a creative flair that forces defenders to focus on both wings simultaneously, a difficult if not impossible task.… "It's pretty frustrating right now," said Selanne, after taking over the team captaincy when Kariya was knocked out of the lineup by a crosscheck from Chicago's Gary Suter. "We have to stick together and stay positive. It's the only way." Although he drew the undivided attention of the league's premier checkers, Selanne still managed to tie Peter Bondra for the league lead, with 52 goals, breaking his own team record. Responsible for more than 25% of Anaheim's goals, Selanne was also nominated for the Hart trophy.
Yet he has remained one of the league's most down to earth players. In the midst of the contract, which pays in far below current market rates, Selanne has rejected the notion that he should try to renegotiate terms, a common practice. "If the only problem I have is that I'm underpaid," he said in reference to his $3.4 million annual salary, "things have to be pretty good."
"Every player in the NHL and minor hockey around the world should follow this guy for a week," says ESPN analyst Darren pang, "to see how he handles people and demands. Besides, how can you not be enamored with one of the great pure goal scorers, who skate so quickly and effortlessly and then takes off the equipment and drives cars the same way?"
Hockey All-Stars: the NHL Honor Roll said:
Teemu Selanne surprised his NHL opponents in 1993 with his speed, desire and creativity. "Most of the season, the guys on the other team didn't know my style, "he explained to the hockey news. "I was way open all the time. I had at least two breakaways every game."
"I know when I play well, the numbers will be there," said Selanne, declaring team success more important.
THE HOCKEY NEWS YEARBOOKS
Here is what was said annually about Selanne in the THN Yearbooks, as well as his ranking among all NHL players heading into the season. (It's worth noting that Selanne would have ranked high in the 2008 yearbook, except he was considered retired at the time)
The Hockey News Yearbook 1994 said:
#6: Teemu Selanne: Mike Bossy was among the most consistent goal scorers in NHL history and the Finnish flash destroyed his rookie record for goals. Tell you anything? It is difficult to remember that some questioned the Winnipeg Jets right-wingers ability to handle NHL roughness.
The Hockey News Yearbook said:
#18: Teemu Selanne: think about the 76 goals Selanne had in 1993, not the 25 he had an injury plagued 1994. He's still champagne in the sea of malts and ales.
Only 25 players were named in the 1996 Yearbook, and Selanne was not mentioned following an off year.
The Hockey News Yearbook said:
#18: Teemu Selanne: right after he was paired with Paul Kariya, Selanne might have been the best player in the league for one 10 game span last season. The ducks would be happy if he was consistently in the top 40.
Following the 1997 season, THN did not do a player ranking. Too bad, because Selanne had just led the NHL in goals.
The Hockey News Yearbook said:
#12: Teemu Selanne: aside from being one of the NHL's best people, the Anaheim winger is one of its most premier scorers. He did more with less than anyone last season.
The Hockey News Yearbook 2000 said:
#9: Teemu Selanne: at a time when goalscoring is hard to come by, the Finnish flash has emerged as the NHL's most consistent elite sniper.
The Hockey News Yearbook 2001 said:
#14: coming off an off year by his standards, the Finnish flash is still a weapon to be feared.
The Hockey News Yearbook 2002 said:
#36: Teemu Selanne: a second straight 33 goal season removed the sunshine from one of the game's great goal scorers. A return to form is a must.
ANNUAL REPORTS
Books like McKeen's Hockey Pool Yearbook and Sports Forecaster are valuable resources not because they attempt to predict points totals in the following year, but because they provide objective reports on the player's performance. Here's what was said in the years that I have available:
The Sports Forecaster Hockey 1996-97 said:
One of the NHL's most underrated playmakers. "He puts the puck through legs like Gretzky," Kariya says. Selanne has speed and strength. A great finisher. Has character and commitment game. It wasn't love at first sight as far as Ron Wilson was concerned. Wilson broke up the duo after the second game, only to bring them back together. A little later, and then they really clicked. "To be honest, they didn't come back that hard on defense," explained Wilson. "So I split them up." Both seemed to end up on left wing went on the same unit, a bit like Bure and Mogilny in Vancouver. Now they go together like Hansel & Gretel.
McKeen's Hockey Pool Guide 1996-97 said:
brought much-needed goal relief to a lame Duck attack and in the process helped to take some attention away from their lone threat - Paul Kariya. A powerful skater with quick hands and surprising toughness, he seems to have overcome past knee problems in addition to a serious achilles tear he suffered during the 1993-94 season.
The Sports Forecaster Hockey 1997-98 said:
sounds crazy, but he's just entering his prime. Selanne was second in league scoring and made the first All-Star team. Will become one of the high-scoring right-wingers in history. Great speed, balance, and strength. A natural goal scorer, he finished one goal shy of the league lead. Has decent size and will work along the boards. A quick, accurate shot. Has good vision and is an underrated playmaker. Had eight game-winning goals to finish in a tie for fifth in the NHL. Average defensively. Has had an undeserved reputation for selfishness in the past.
McKeen's Hockey Pool Yearbook 1999-2000 said:
Finnish flash took little consolation in capturing the inaugural rocket Richard trophy with a league best 47 goals or as Art Ross trophy runner-up after being humbled by Detroit's stifling left-wing lock during their opening round blowout. An elite mix of speed, skill and power who has accounted for 22.6% of Anaheim's goal output over the last three seasons. A sluggish stretch drive and postseason raised questions about his conditioning which could serve as added motivation this year, in defending his goal crown and in carving a more convincing playoff legacy.
McKeen's Hockey Pool Yearbook 2000-01 said:
battled through nagging back injuries all season and failed to defend his league goal-scoring crown... at his best, he uses his tremendous speed, power and shooting abilities to wreak havoc on opposing defenses but last year, except for the odd outburst, he lacked his usual strength on the puck and was criticized at times for his "less than superstar" work ethic.
The Sports Forecaster Hockey 2001-02 said:
he would probably like to forget last season. While he still averaged a point a game, he was traded, had knee surgery and capped it all off with a subpar playoff performance. Still, the sharks know that they've acquired one of the premier talents in hockey. Lightning speed and a wicked shot makes Selanne one of the best goal scorers in recent times. As an added bonus, he's one of the classiest players around. His outstanding playmaking skills are often overlooked. Without a shadow of a doubt, Selanne will put up better numbers in San Jose this season. He's never played on such a good NHL team. In fact, he should once again challenge for the rocket Richard trophy as the NHL's top goal scorer.
McKeen's Hockey Pool Yearbook 2002-03 said:
took a while to get acclimatized in San Jose, and it wasn't until after leading his country in scoring at the Olympics that he finally settled in, notching 13 goals down the stretch, including four game winners, and delivering a brilliant performance in the second round of the playoffs against the avalanche… A quick, powerful skater with superb shooting skills, Selanne displayed a newfound enthusiasm for back checking in the postseason and showed much better tenacity away from the puck, although he must continue to ring a nastier edge if you want to create more room for himself… Time to show his true racing colors again.
The Sports Forecaster Hockey 2002-03 said:
while goals are his forte, it is Selanne's assist totals that really disappeared. When on top of his game, the Finnish flash possesses top-notch skating speed, silky hands and a goal scorers touch. Furthermore, he has the innate ability to know where to be on the ice at all times. Selanne might have sacrificed production in order to remain a shark.
The Sports Forecaster Hockey 2003-04 said:
one of the purest goal scorers in NHL history, Selanne has struggled in recent years as teams are now far more system dependent and defense oriented. He is a solid skater with great hands and anticipation. Nowadays, there are few signs of his old Finnish flash days, simply because he's had trouble fitting into defensive systems that rely heavily on each forward doing their part in the defensive zone. Selanne should thrive in the Rocky Mountains.
SCOUTING REPORTS
Annual scouting reports provide a glimpse into how Selanne was perceived throughout his career. Some publications repeat a lot from one year to the next, so I'll only post newly-written info.
Hockey Scouting Report 1993-94 said:
Selanne's success stunned even the scouts who had seen his remarkable development in Finland. He came to the NHL polished, 22-year-old rookie and was a devastating force. His skating is exceptional. He has turbo speed, Porsche speed. He gets down low and then simply explodes past defensemen, even when he starts from a standstill. He gets tremendous thrust from his legs and has quick feet. Acceleration, balance, it's all there.
Everything you could ask for in a shot is there as well. Once teamed with another rookie, Alexi Zhamnov, Selanne worked all varieties of attacks. The duo works especially well weaving back and forth, with Zhamnov setting up Selanne with a one timer from the low right circle. Selanne is constantly in motion. If his first attempt is stopped, he'll pursue the puck behind the net, make a pass and circle again for shot. He is almost impossible to catch and is tough to knock down because of his balance. He will set up on the off wing on the power play and can score on the backend. His shot is not especially hard, but it is quick and accurate.
Selanne doesn't just try to overpower with his skating, he also outwits opponents. He is tremendous hockey instincts and vision, and is as good a playmaker as a finisher.
Selanne was tested physically early and often. Nobody scores 76 goals and gets ignored by other teams checkers, and Selanne took his share of abuse. He proved remarkably durable, fighting his way through slashes and hooks. When the referees are slow on the whistle, he takes matters into his own hands, usually with his stick. He is one of the toughest young players in the league, European or otherwise.
Unlike Alexander Mogilny, with whom he tied for the NHL goalie, Selanne did not sweat at all under the spotlight. He was calm and collected, and not only welcomed the attention but seems to regard it as his due. Repeating or even coming close to his success of last season is a long shot, but because of his attitude, the sophomore Selanne is a better bet than Mogilny. Selanne is going to be one of the dynamic stars of the 90s for the NHL.
Hockey Almanac 1993-94 said:
the pure goal scorer, Selanne marked the start of a new era of offense of hijinks in Winnipeg when he notched his first hat trick just five games into his NHL career… Using blazing speed to create scoring chances, he was the team's torchbearer on offense all year. He had his first five game goalscoring streak by early November, and another one in early December… Believe it or not, this rifle toting sniper doesn't shoot enough. Despite leading the team in shots on goal, he was being encouraged by coach John Paddock to seize the opportunity whenever it arose, not hesitate. Players of Selanne's tremendous talent need not worry so much about setting up teammates. [Although Selanne's assists were nearly on par with his goals]… Not since Dale Hawerchuk was in his prime have the Jets had a player so clearly destined for greatness as they do in Selanne. He has the ability to take control of the game and turn the tide of his amazing offensive skill.
WILL – be a superstar.
CAN'T – be selfish enough.
EXPECT – 60 goals, 130 points
DON'T EXPECT – a timid persona
Hockey Scouting Report 1994-95 said:
even before his serious injury that ended his season, Selanne was heading for a disappointing year. Perhaps it was natural to expect after his phenomenal Calder winning rookie year, but at one point in the season, Selanne was called "useless" by his coach and GM, John Patrick. Certainly, Selanne's intensity was lacking on nightly basis. He was further hampered by the NHL's slow down, clutching, grabbing game.
Selanne's skating is such a major part of his game that his recuperation from his freak injury will determine his future. Before the injury, his skating was exceptional.
Hockey Almanac 1994-95 said:
a brilliant skater with an awesome array of shooting weapons… A streaky scorer who enjoys torrid stretches, Selanne was the chief reason for Winnipeg finishing as well as it did in 1993. By the same token, his devastating injury in 1994, a severed Achilles tendon, was a major contributor to the Jets woeful plummeting through the standings…
WILL – be a superstar
CAN'T – afford more injuries.
EXPECT – a huge comeback year.
DON'T EXPECT – a shrinking violet
Hockey Scouting Report 1995-96 said:
although Selanne appeared to have recovered well from his Achilles tendon injury, he was hampered by patella tendinitis which limited his practice time. Selanne was in close to 100% most of the season. He lacked his old touch with the puck, but knowing that the Jets needed him, he had the knee frozen and kept playing through the pain.… He is able to lift little passes to teammates over defenders blades so the puck hits flat for the recipient… Not only do the Jets need him, but the NHL does too. Despite his painful ailment, Selanne played in what might have been the last game played in Winnipeg last season – a meaningless event, except to the fans. That kind of commitment is hard to find in a pro athlete these days.
Hockey Almanac 1995-96 said:
the Finnish flash has such amazing scoring and skating ability, he can't be punished for lacking a belligerent quality… Selanne last year began to show that he can also throw his weight around a little bit. Fully recovered from his ankle injury, he retained his title as the teams faster skater.
WILL – score a lot
CAN'T – carry the Jets alone
EXPECT – a solid sniper
DON'T EXPECT – to intimidate him
Hockey Scouting Report 1996-97 said:
Selanne has overcome knee problems and a career threatening Achilles tendon injury to regain the blinding speed that characterized his 76 goal rookie season.… He was reportedly not happy with trade to Anaheim, but playing with the brilliant Paul Kariya quickly changed his outlook. Selanne plays off Kariya's puck control and his exquisite lead passes. Selanne had a reputation for being selfish with the puck, but he is more generous with Kariya and feeds him for one timers.
Anaheim is pretty much a one line team, so Kariya and Selanne will have to deal with checking pressure every night. Team set out to bump and grind Selanne from the for shift, and he will have to fight his way through the junk… He is big and uses his strength along the wall. Before Selanne went to Anaheim, the team's power-play was operating at 11%. After his arrival, team had a 19.5% success rate.
Hockey Almanac 1996-97 said:
Selanne has many things going for him: he's young, he's strong, he's fast, and he's a scorer. He shoots rockets from the wing and will work down deep as well. Firing one timers from the slot area is also in his bag of tricks. Selanne is tough. He will going to the corners to get the puck and work it along the boards, and he'll take a hit to make a play. Every once in a while, he'll throw a check, too. The ducks acquired Selanne essentially to give power to a powerless power-play. They also hoped that he could somehow get them to make a late charge into the playoffs, which they failed to do.… With some uncharted territory in the postseason. Still to be discovered and conquered, Selanne has not yet fulfilled all of his goals as an NHL or. But he is one of the most dynamic players in the game and will make the ducks the most exciting team in California. He has several years in which to rack up big points and helped the ducks move from endangered NHL species to birds of prey.
WILL – make ducks mighty
CAN'T – revive them pronto
EXPECT – superb talent
DON'T EXPECT – a banger
Pro Hockey Play By Play 1996-97 said:
man, does Teemu look good in a ducks uniform! He had 108 points and made Kariya a better player just by his presence on the ice. It was far and away his best season since his rookie year. Watch him take off now.
Hockey Scouting Report 1997-98 said:
Selanne is a better all-around player now than when he scored 76 goals in his rookie season in Winnipeg. Part of that is due to playing with the speedy, brainy Paul Kariya. But much credit is also due to the veteran Jari Kurri, who went from a sniper to one of the games most underrated defensive forwards, and who has tutored Selanne.… He plays off Kariya's puck control and exquisite passes. So often these two players will simply "alley oop" to the other with perfect timing, so that they receive the puck in full stride… Selanne's career looked in doubt because of a severed Achilles tendon two years ago, but he has overcome that to become one of the game's premier marksmen.
Hockey Scouting Report 1998-99 said:
Selanne scored 52 goals last season without playing with a bona fide number one center and minus left wing Paul Kariya for all but 22 games. This is a player from another galaxy. Anaheim is pretty much a one line team, so Paul Kariya, Selanne and Steve Rucchin have to deal with checking pressure every night… He is big and uses his strength along the wall, but he takes a beating.… Selanne is one of the game's premier marksmen, and would be an even bigger threats if the ducks would part with some Disney dollars to get him a playmaking center.
Hockey Scouting Report 2000 said:
coach Craig Hartsburg tried several times during the season to break up the Kariya, Selanne combo to get them away from checking pressure, but they are much better together than apart. Selanne can have 55 quiet minutes and kill you when you let up for the other two shifts.
Hockey Scouting Report 2002 said:
Selanne had knee surgery shortly after his trade to the sharks, and did not recover his legs before the season ended… He had a disappointing playoffs, but suffered a broken thumb in the opening game
Hockey Scouting Report 2003 said:
he employs all varieties of attacks and is equally comfortable on either wing. He can collect a pass at top speed while barely breaking stride…
Hockey Scouting Report 2004 said:
Selanne is a big fan of fast sports cars. That's not surprising, because he plays like one… He has tremendous hockey instincts and vision…
Hockey Prospectus 2010-11 said:
as players age, they generally lose their effectiveness at even strength, but many top players remain deadly on the power play because they can use their smarts to compensate for their declining athleticism. Teemu Selanne is a perfect example of this trend, having scored more points on the power play that even strength for the fourth consecutive season. Over that stretch, the Finnish flashes scored a stunning 7.48 power-play points per 60 min., proving that despite recently turning 40, he remains one of the league's top power-play threats.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
Sports Illustrated said:
...Sorry, Eric Lindros, but you're simply going to have to give the Calder Trophy back. The rookie of the year award, ceded to Lindros, the Philadelphia Flyers' prodigy, before this season even began, can't go to anyone but Selanne. With 65 goals and 43 assists for 108 points at week's end, Selanne had not only surpassed the rookie goal-scoring mark set by Mike Bossy, who had 53 for the New York Islanders in 1977-78, but also stood on the verge of breaking Peter Stastny's rookie scoring record of 109 points set in 1980-81.
... the 6-foot, 200-pound Selanne has quickly established himself as the team's franchise player. "He's going to put Winnipeg back on the hockey map," says Jet coach John Paddock.
Sports Illustrated said:
Once he had them in his office, Wilson said, "Guys, I'm going to cut right to the chase: You've both been traded to Winnipeg for Teemu Selanne." And? "They thought I was pulling their leg," Wilson says of the highly regarded youngsters. "I said, 'Seriously, guys, this is serious.' " Wilson laughs at the retelling. "The problem was, the whole time...I've got a stupid smile on my face because, you know, it's Teemu. Teemu Selanne! And I can't help it. Inside, what I'm really thinking is, Hoo, god! My prayers have been answered!"
...It would be enough even if all Selanne did for Anaheim was score goals—which he has, 41 in his first 60 games with the Ducks. But he's more than a gunner; he's an antidote to the workaday blues, a comic foil who can temper Kariya's smoldering intensity or Wilson's tough-talking style with a well-timed joke, a gently needling remark. Selanne is one of those rare sweet souls who make people smile—even laugh out loud—at the mere mention of their names.
For a team that's seeking its first postseason berth and that suffers by comparison with the Florida Panthers, its expansion cousins, who went to the Stanley Cup finals last season, Selanne's sunny disposition has been crucial. "I think the epitaph on Teemu's tombstone is going to read, 'I had a million friends and not one enemy,' " Wilson says. "He's a guy you just love being around."
If Selanne's wit doesn't charm someone first, his unebbing enthusiasm, his slack-jawed smile or wide-eyed look of wonder probably will. His game has all the bells and whistles. At times he's pure magic. He has blazing speed and the power to shrug off defenders; he's a natural scorer and he can shrewdly read a game; his passes are creative, sly, even prescient. Off the ice Selanne's worldview is so unabashedly straightforward and buoyant—he says things like, "If you're good to people, it'll be good for you"—that he sometimes sounds almost corn pone.
Selanne will make $2.75 million this year—easily the highest salary on the Ducks. Yet there is no practiced aloofness, no feigned boredom or ugly glances when a swarm of fans approach. Shortly after he was traded to the Ducks, Selanne watched the notoriously reticent Kariya bolt past autograph hounds, then asked another new teammate, "Why does he run?"
Sports Illustrated said:
Sweet-shooting Mighty Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne deserves to be among the three finalists for the Hart Trophy, which goes to the league's MVP. But whether he should beat out Penguins right wing Jaromir Jagr and Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek, two almost certain finalists for the award, comes down to this: Does Selanne's dominant season outweigh the fact that through Sunday, Anaheim was 25-41-12 and in last place in the Western Conference?
Even though he led the NHL with 52 goals and was tied for fourth in scoring with 86 points at week's end, the odds are against Selanne's winning the Hart. Jagr was the NHL's point leader, with 97 through Sunday, and Hasek was having one of the best seasons ever by a netminder, with 13 shutouts and a 2.09 goals-against average. As for Selanne, only four players whose teams failed to make the playoffs have been MVP (the last was Mario Lemieux of the 1987-88 Penguins). "He's had a phenomenal season," says Anaheim coach Pierre Page. "Through the down times, he hasn't let up."
With the absence of star left wing Paul Kariya, who missed the season's first 32 games in a contract dispute and who has been sidelined since Feb. 1 with postconcussion syndrome, Selanne has played with a hodgepodge of linemates and has been keyed on by opposing teams. "Trying to do damage without Paul has been a big challenge," says Selanne.
Here's how he has responded: Through Sunday, Selanne was plus-12 on a team that had surrendered 55 more goals than it had scored, and he had scored 10 game-winning goals and 26.9% of Anaheim's 193 goals. Only Brett Hull, who scored 27.7% of the Blues' goals in 1991-92, has had a higher percentage of his team's output in a season.
The 27-year-old Selanne, who is 6 feet and 200 pounds, is tougher in the corners than most snipers and possesses an uncommon blend of speed, explosiveness and touch. A classic Selanne moment, even though it didn't result in a goal, occurred on March 9 against the Kings. He was advancing on Rob Blake—one of the top three defensemen in the game—who was skating backward and was in good position. But when Blake broke stride for a split second, Selanne seized the moment. He accelerated past Blake and snapped a breakaway shot on goalie Stephane Fiset. "Most guys wouldn't have even noticed my hesitation," says Blake. "He saw it, and he was gone."
Sports Illustrated said:
"I'm a bus driver, not a passenger." -- Teemu Selanne
If he did not delight more in vaunting his teammates' successes than his own--Selanne likened Joffrey Lupul's four goals in Game 3 against the Avalanche to all the ketchup escaping the bottle in a single splat--he might note that his own hands have been remarkably capable. He scored the Game 7 series-clincher against Calgary in the first round and did it again last Thursday in the sweep of Colorado with a slick, almost smart-aleck, goal that came straight out of Selanne's hockey DNA. Early in the second period of Game 4, with the Avalanche still feigning interest in extending the series, Selanne flew down the right flank to take a pass near the half boards, faked a slap shot that froze Jose Theodore, took another powerful stride toward the goal line and, from an acute angle, fired the puck at Theodore's pads, banking it off the goalie's right leg and into the net. That goal, his team-leading 10th point of this year's playoffs, had it all: creativity, audacity and speed. Mostly speed.
Selanne could not have burst into the offensive zone so swiftly if he had not submitted to reconstructive surgery on his deteriorating left knee in September 2004. He had undergone annual stopgap 'scopes for four years, and the surgery was the unhappy exclamation point on what was supposed to have been a fabulous once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Selanne and Kariya. In the final throes of the pre-salary-cap NHL, they Butch-and-Sundanced their way to Colorado, signing in tandem a $7 million, one-year package deal. Selanne might have needed two hands to count his money--he was making $5.8 million--but with only one functioning leg he scored a career-low 16 goals, none in the playoffs. Selanne looked long in the tooth, even before he lost them. During the Avalanche series last week when asked about that nightmarish season, Selanne replied, "That wasn't me. That was my twin."
In the stands Selanne points to his left thigh. "Before [the operation] it was more than three inches smaller than my right," he says. "No power. It was tough driving to the rink knowing that when you stepped on the ice, every stride would hurt. After the [September 2004] World Cup, I knew there was no way I could play this [low] level again. With all respect for third- and fourth-line players, that's not me. I'd rather play golf. There were a lot of people saying very loudly that this guy is done. It bothered me a little because they didn't know. After the surgery I was so pumped about coming back. After the rehab, when I realized this knee was going to be as good as the other, I wanted to prove myself."
Brian Burke, the new Anaheim general manager, cautiously repatriated the 35-year-old rightwinger, offering a one-year, $1 million deal. If Selanne could score 16 goals "in a messed-up situation" in Colorado, Burke reasoned, he could be slightly more productive for the Mighty Ducks, a moderate gamble as long as Selanne was willing to play diligently at both ends of the ice. Burke thought 20 goals was realistic, $50,000 a pop. Instead Selanne, the rare player in his 30s who actually benefitted from the lockout, scored a team-high 40 (and added 50 assists), the first time in five seasons he had reached that standard. (From 1996-97 through '99-2000 he averaged 46 goals a year; his 76 as a Winnipeg Jets rookie in '92-93 remains an NHL record.) Selanne became the seventh European in NHL history to reach 1,000 points. He also forechecked and backchecked and made every day in the dressing room feel like Christmas morning. "Teemu doesn't have bad days," Burke says. "When he comes to the rink, it's a good day. Doesn't matter if we won or lost the night before. Enthusiasm is an important attribute on any team, and he's brought that big time."
"I don't have to try to be positive," Selanne says, "because I am positive."
Coach Randy Carlyle said:
Nobody cared more, nobody tried more, nobody did more then Teemu Selanne.