Teemu Brought Skill, Passion, Enjoyment To The NHL

Teemu Selanne is set to become just the second Finnish player in hockey history to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Jari Kurri, of course, was the first, inducted in 2001.

Selanne grew up idolizing Kurri, who was the undisputed greatest player in Finnish hockey history. Now he will join his hero, though some say he surpassed him in the minds of many as the greatest Finn.

Selanne finished his career with 684 goals and 1,457 points in 23 NHL seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche. He retired after the 2013-14 season as the all-time Finland-born leading NHL scorer, 83 goals and 59 points more than Kurri.

The personable Selanne won the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, won four Olympic hockey medals with Finland (silver in 2006, bronze in 1998, 2010 and 2014) and ranks as the all-time leading scorer in Olympic hockey with 43 points (24 goals, 19 assists) in 37 games.

The ever lasting image of Teemu will be his ever-present smile. He is a man who truly seemed to enjoy every moment in the NHL, every moment in life.

Video: Teemu Selanne's Jersey Retired In Anaheim

Farewell, Teemu Selanne

Anaheim Ducks Honour Teemu Selanne and J.S. Giguere

Sunday marked the last time we will ever see Teemu Selanne play a regular season game in the NHL. It is also very possible that Colorado Avalanche goaltender Jean Sebastien Giguere, who just happens to be the all time winningest goalie in Anaheim Ducks history, has played his last regular season game.

So when the Avalanche and Ducks met in the final game of the regular season, there was no surprise that Selanne would be honoured. The Ducks also made a nice thank you to Giguere, which Selanne took to a higher - and unexpected - level after the game.


Great stuff from two classy guys.

Teemu Selanne: Edmonton Oilers Fan?

From Reddit user "rjromes13" here's a photo of a 12 year old Teemu Selanne:

This photo is apparently from Christmas 1982, which would have been Jari Kurri's 3rd NHL season. We are not sure if Selanne has any name at all on the back of that Oilers jersey, but it should come as no surprise that Teemu - like most Finnish kids back then - was a huge fan of Jari Kurri.

As Teemu's career comes to a close many are ready to anoint him as the greatest Finnish hockey player in hockey history. Let's not forget about Jari Kurri and all those Stanley Cups and his Hall of Fame career, though. Yes, a lot of people dismiss Kurri simply as Wayne Gretzky's sidekick, and that is unfair. Let's also not forget that Kurri was a complete player, excelling at the defensive side of the game as well.

Teemu! Finland Wins 2014 Sochi Olympic Bronze Medal

Is there a more respected man in hockey than Teemu Selanne? On both sides of the Atlantic he is loved and revered. It impossible not to like the Finnish Flash. True, he's not quite the same player he once was, but it's always good to see him flash that easy grin.

The Finnish Flash was flashing his trademark easy smile a lot on Saturday as Teemu Selanne paced Team Finland to 5-0 bronze medal win over Team USA.

The Finnish captain led the way with 2 goals including the game winner. Jussi Jokinen, Jusso Hietanen and Olli Maatta also scored for Finland. Tuukka Rask got the shutout.

Finland wanted this game in large part because everybody knows this was Teemu Selanne's last Olympic game. We can likely include Sami Salo, Kimmo Timonen and Olli Jokinen in the same boat too.


Selanne, playing in his sixth Olympics, now has 1 silver and 3 bronze medals in his jewellery collection. He exits as the modern day all-time leading scorer in Olympic history with 24 goals, 19 assists and 43 points in 37 games. He extended his own olympic record as the oldest hockey player to scorer a goal (43 years and 234 days) and now surpasses Igor Larionov as the oldest hockey player to medal at an Olympics.

Selanne and Timonen join Russia’s Vladislav Tretiak and Igor Kravchuk, Czechoslovakia’s Jiri Holik, and fellow countrymen Jere Lehtinen and Saku Koivu as the only male hockey players to have won four Olympic medals.

For Finland it is their second straight Olympic bronze medal and sixxth medal in the last eight Olympics dating back to 1988. They are 4-0 in bronze medal games.

For the Finns bronze is a prized accomplishment.

"It's not gold," said Selanne. "But I'd rather win bronze than lose the silver."

The Americans, still dejected from a hard loss the day before to Canada, never seemed interested in this contest. Patrick Kane may have been their most dangerous player. Twice he was denied on penalty shots. The high scoring Americans failed to score a goal in their final 2 games.

Top Ten Rookie Seasons

Let's take a look at the top 10 rookie seasons in NHL history:

1. Teemu Selanne - The Finnish Flash absolutely obliterated the NHL record for most goals by a player in his rookie season when he scored an unbelievable 76 in 1992-93

2. Mike Bossy - It was Mike Bossy who held the previous record for most goals by a rookie with 53 in 1977-78. It was the first of an amazing 9 consecutive seasons of at least 50 goals for "The Boss."

3. Frank Brimsek - In his first 8 NHL games, Brimsek recorded 6 shutouts and wiped out a league record for consecutive scoreless minutes. "Mr. Zero" had arrived. That first year he sparked the Bruins to the regular season and Stanley Cup Championships, earning the Calder and Vezina trophies and a First Team All Star selection on the way. He finished the regular season with a 33-9-1 record with 10 shutouts and a 1.56 GAA.

4. Alexander Ovechkin - Going head to head with fellow rookie sensation Sidney Crosby kept the spotlight on the future of hockey in the 2005-06 NHL season. "Ovie" would win the Calder Trophy thanks to his 52 goals, many of them in spectacular fashion. Twenty one of those goals came on the power play, and he added 54 assists for 106 points.

6. Dale Hawerchuk - The Winnipeg Jets landed a superstar when they drafted Dale Hawerchuk 1st overall in 1981. Hawerchuk immediately post 103-points (45 goals, 58 assists) in his rookie season, winning the Calder Trophy. The year before Hawerchuk arrived the Jets won an embarrassing 9 games in an entire season! Add Hawerchuk and the team went 33-33-14 and made the Stanley Cup playoffs.

5. Tony Esposito - As a rookie Tony Esposito established a modern-day record with 15 shutouts to go along with a 2.17 goals against average. Tony O won the Calder Trophy, Vezina Trophy and finished second only to Bobby Orr for the Hart Trophy.

7. Mario Lemieux - Super Mario dominated the league from day one with a 100-point (43 goals, 57 assists) rookie campaign for the Pittsburgh Penguins as a 19-year-old center.

8. Peter Stastny - This Slovak sensation was older than most rookies, age 24, thanks to the fact that he had to wait to defect from behind Iron Curtain to play in the NHL. But when he arrived in 1980-81 when he took the NHL by storm. He easily won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, setting NHL records for assists (70) and points (109) by a freshman. He was the first rookie to register 100 points in a season.

9. Sidney Crosby - Sid the Kid was the most hyped prospect since Eric Lindros. Against very long odds, Crosby has lived up to all the hype since day one. In his rookie season Crosby became the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 points in a season (18 years, 253 days). He scored 39 goals and 63 assists for 102 points in 80 games in 2005-06.

10. Larry Murphy - Larry Murphy still holds the record for most points scored by a rookie NHL defenseman. In 1980-81 Murphy, then with the Los Angeles Kings, scored 16 goals and 60 assists for 76 points in 80 games.

Note: Wayne Gretzky was not considered for this list, because the NHL considered him and other NHL newcomers with previous WHA experience to be ineligible for the Calder Trophy. In his first NHL season The Great One scored 51 goals and 86 assists for 137 points in 79 games.

Top 20 Players in Anaheim Ducks History

Like the Florida Panthers, it is the 20th anniversary season for the Anaheim Ducks this year. So like we did with the Panthers yesterday, let's take a look at top 20 players in the history of the Anaheim Ducks

1. Teemu Selanne - The Finnish Flash is the franchise's all time leader in seemingly every offensive category and in games played. His class puts him at the head of the class.

2. Paul Kariya - The face of the franchise for many years. Had he remained or returned healthy he very well may be number one.

3. Scott Niedermayer - Hockey Hall of Famer played last four seasons of his career in Anaheim, joining his brother Rob. He won the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP for the 2007 Stanley Cup championship.

4. Jean Sebastien Giguere - The NHL got "Jiggy With It" in a spectacular Ducks run to the Stanley Cup final in 2003, thanks in large part to Giguere's red-hot goaltending. He didn't get to lift the Stanley Cup in celebration then, but he returned in 2007, backstopping the franchise to their first championship.

5. Corey Perry - Hart Trophy winner gets the nod over his higher scoring co-hort. He also led the league in goals once so far, winning the Rocket Richard trophy in 2011.

6. Ryan Getzlaf - Getzlaf and Perry are nearly inseparable. Getzlaf led the Ducks in scoring in the 2007 Stanley Cup championship and likely will one day finish as the team's all time leading scorer.

7. Chris Pronger - The big defenseman with the nasty mean streak only played 3 seasons in Anaheim. Otherwise this certain Hall of Famer may have ranked higher on this list.

8. Steve Rucchin - This long time Duck was an unheralded center, he scored the series winning goal against Detroit to launch the Ducks 2003 run to the Stanley Cup final.

9. Guy Hebert - The Ducks have usually been blessed with strong goaltending. Guy Hebert was the first goaltending stalwart.

10. Jonas Hiller - Hiller will rise up this list before his career is done. He is hitting his prime and needs to make some noise in the playoffs.

11. Francois Beauchemin - There's something about playing hockey in Anaheim for this player. Beauchemin has been one of the league's top rearguards wearing a Ducks jersey, but only average elsewhere.

12. Sami Pahlsson - Along with Travis Moen and Rob Niedermayer, this checking line center was integral part of the Ducks' 2007 Stanley Cup championship.

13. Andy McDonald - Small but slick pivot really emerged as an offensive star with a team leading 10 goals in the 2007 playoffs.

14. Bobby Ryan - Ryan never quite found his calling in Anaheim. The big man had all the skills and size to dominate but never quite emerged from the shadows of Getzlaf, Perry and Selanne.

15. Ruslan Salei - Long time Duck as a solid and steady presence on the blue line for many seasons.

16. Keith Carney - Keith Carney may be one of the most underrated players of his generation.

17. Rob Niedermayer - Played six seasons in Anaheim. Sharing the 2007 Stanley Cup with his brother was one of the franchise's top feel good stories.

17. George Parros - Tough guy remains one of the most popular players in franchise history, both on and off the ice.

18. Vitaly Vishnevskiy - Hard hitting defenseman was also known as the freight train from Ukraine.

19. Chris Kunitz - He left and became better known as Sidney Crosby's left winger, but he got his start in Anaheim and is still in the Ducks' top ten in all time scoring.

20. Oleg Tverdovsky - Exciting defenseman never could polish off his game to match his potential.

Hockey Card Of The Day: Teemu Selanne

1993-94 Teemu Selanne Kraft Dinner hockey card

Teemu Selanne Returns For Final NHL Season

Teemu Selanne: Finnished?

Could this be Teemu Selanne's final week in his hockey career?

What a storied career it is. Selanne is the greatest player in Finnish hockey history. He is a Stanley Cup champion and the NHL's 12th all time leading goal scorer. He is one of the most respected hockey players in all of hockey history.

At the age of 41 he leads the Anaheim Ducks - who also boast NHL MVP Corey Perry - in scoring with 65 points. Clearly he can still play. The question is does he want to still play next season?

Selanne answered such questions in Vancouver today, just like he has everywhere he has travelled to this season:

"I don't want to think too much about the future during the season. I'm going to take two, three or four weeks off and get a better picture. I want to to enjoy this as much as I can and go from there.

"I'm so thankful to play this game for so long and especially when you get older. You start to appreciate that you can still do the things you need to do and that's what I'm so happy about and that's why it's hard to make a decision. There are two sides and there is the passion for the game.

"I enjoy this game more than when I was 28 or 25. That's the only reason I'm still playing. I'm pretty healthy and that's a big factor.

Everyone is hoping Teemu Selanne comes back for at least one more season. And beyond that, the
Sochi Olympics are only 22 months away.

"I told the Finnish media that the 2002 Olympics would be my last," grinned Selanne, who went on to play in Torino in 2006 and Vancouver in 2010.

Here's a few fun (all true as they are unbelievable) about the shaggy Finn with the infectious smile:

• He taught Kindergarten prior to coming to the National Hockey League.
• He accidentally got the Swedish flag tattooed on his ankle. 
• He was once fined over $40,000 for reckless driving in Finland.
• His off-ice passion is racing cars. He used to race competitively under a phony Finnish name that translated to "Teddy Flash."

Teemu Selanne is a man who loves life and loves to have fun. That's how he wants to be remembered on the ice, too.

"I hope people remember a guy who enjoyed this game and had fun every day," he says. "I come to the rink and do my job. I don't even call this a job. The passion, a passionate guy. The guy who always, even in the negative things, tried to find the positive. The guy who enjoyed life. That's the key for my life."

The Finnish Flash's Swedish Flag Tattoo

I love this story from Sweden's English language news source, The Local:

"Teemu Selanne is the all-time points leader in men's Olympic hockey with 37 points in 31 games and has scored more than 600 career goals. Selänne's prowess on the ice has elevated him to icon status in the hockey crazy Nordic country.

He is no less of a star in his adopted home of the Anaheim Ducks and the 40-year-old continues to impress - scoring two goals in a 4-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Sunday in the NHL playoffs - in what many believe to be his last games for California outfit.

Speaking to the Orange County Register daily last week Selänne confirmed the widely circulating rumour that he has a tattoo of the Swedish "blue-yellow" flag adorning his right ankle."

Read on to find out the story behind the tattoo.

Report: Scott Niedermayer To Retire: Selanne To Follow?

According to TSN's Darren Dreger's tweet,

Scott Niedermayer is expected to formally announce his retirement at an Anaheim Ducks press conference this afternoon.

Niedermayer's departure has CBC's Elliotte Friedman wondering if this means Teemu Selanne will exit as well.

Niedermayer retiring means Selanne will follow, according to Finnish Flash's previous comments.

The Anaheim Ducks have scheduled a press conference for 4pm EST. Expect only Niedermayer announcement today.

2007: Brother Act Brings Cup To Anaheim

The year is 2007. This year, Mrs. Niedermayer does not have to choose between her sons.

Back in 2003, Scott Niedermayer's New Jersey Devils defeated Rob Niedermayer's Anaheim Ducks to win the Stanley Cup. In the brother vs. brother showdown, Mom publicly declared she was cheering for Rob, only because he had never won the Stanley Cup before. Scott had won it three times previously.

Fast forward to 2007. Now Scott has joined Rob in Anaheim, and the Ducks are back in the finals. This time they are facing the Ottawa Senators.

The Sens are led by the high scoring line of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley. The trio would finish 1-2-3 in post-season scoring, all tallying 22 points each.

But that would not be enough, as the Ducks dust off the Sens in 5 games.

The Ducks had a great arsenal of talent and depth. J.S. Giguere was solid in net throughout the playoffs. The Ducks' blue line was dominating with fearsome Chris Pronger, hard hitting Francois Beauchemin, cagey veteran Sean O'Donnell and the offensive rover Scott Niedermayer eating up most of the minutes. Up front youngsters Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Dustin Penner, and Chris Kunitz playing big roles along side veterans like Andy McDonald and, winning his first Stanley Cup, Teemu Selanne.

Scott Niedermayer was a popular choice to win the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP, though it was no clear-cut choice with goaltender Giguere playing so well. Sami Pahlsson also played incredibly well. Pahlsson, who as a prospect was once traded for Raymond Bourque, established himself as the NHL's new sensational shutdown center.

By winning the Cup Anaheim became the first west coast city to win the Stanley Cup since the Victoria Cougars (who later became the Detroit Red Wings) won in 1925.

A special moment occurred for the third game in Ottawa. 91 year old Sens fan Russell Williams attended the game as a special guest of owner Eugene Melnyk. Williams was in attendance during the finals game ever played in Ottawa, way back in 1927 when the original Senators played against the Boston Bruins in the old Ottawa Auditorium.

Anaheim countered by winning over Snoop Dogg as a hockey fan.

Forsberg, Selanne Coming Back?

I only profile retired hockey players here at Greatest Hockey Legends.com. But I've also been looking for ways to better include current events, and therefore make history more relevant to today's audience.

One way to better attract the current fan was to include Peter Forsberg and Teemu Selanne biographies on the site.

Well it looks like I may have jumped the gun when it comes to their careers being over. And I really should have known better.

Forsberg has been hinting at a return, which is no surprise. But whether he can actually get medical clearance and then find a skate to fit his surgically altered foot are other issues altogether.

And now comes word that Teemu is in Anaheim and skating again. He has kept up on all his off-season, off-ice workouts. Oh, and he's probably waiting for salary cap space to open up in Anaheim.

If I'm a betting man, I'd bet on Teemu's return this year. I'd need to see medical reports on Foppa, but he too is likely going to be getting late season contract offers regardless.

Toews Has Finish, But No Finnish Flash

I was taking a look at the rookie scoring leaders today. There's a lot of exciting new players entering the league, none more so, in my opinion, than rookie goal scoring leader Jonathan Toews.

Here's the season's current rookie goal scoring derby, as of Jan 1st, 2008:

Player	Team	GP	G
Jonathan Toews	CHI	36	15
Patrick Kane	CHI	38	9
Peter Mueller	PHO	36	9
Devin Setoguchi	SJS	24	8
Nicklas Backstrom	WSH	40	7
Andrew Cogliano	EDM	40	7
David Perron	STL	25	7
Torrey Mitchell	SJS	39	7

I like Jonathan Toews a lot. I think there's a very good chance he'll be on Team Canada for the 2010 Olympics. He's got a laser of a shot, not unlike Joe Sakic. In fact, I see a lot of Sakic in young Toews.

Mr. Toews impressive rookie season is far from the best hockey has seen, however. That is more of a statement of how the game has changed in the last 15 years as opposed to about Toews himself. Toews is on pace for 33 goals in his inaugural campaign, or at least prior to today's news about a knee injury. As solid as 33 goals would be, it is hard to believe that 33 goals wouldn't even get him half way to the NHL rookie record.

It was 15 years ago now that Teemu Selanne tore apart the NHL rookie scoring record book. The seasoned 22 year old joined the Winnipeg Jets in 1992-93, and proceeded to obliterate Mike Bossy's record of 53 goals by a rookie. Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull and Mark Messier couldn't topple that mark, but Selanne unthinkably bettered the mark by another 23 tallies. That's right: the rookie scored 76 goals in his debut.

Selanne was something else. He was the machine gun goal scorer and a skater so fast he was nicknamed the Finnish Flash. He would battle a lot of injuries over his career, but there have been few better goal scorers than this former kindergarten teacher.

Teemu Selanne is the most recent addition to Greatest Hockey Legends.com, complete with a nice YouTube tribute.

A lot of fans ask me why I don't include active players. I figure there's enough coverage on most of them, so I exploit the niche market of retired stars instead. Selanne still hasn't officially retired, and there is a chance he will return this season in time for another playoff run with the Anaheim Ducks. I'm betting he won't, but you never know. Teemu Selanne may just be the first active greatest hockey legend.

Teemu Selanne: Stanley Cup Champion

Teemu Selanne, Stanley Cup champion. That has a nice ring too it. Somehow I find it fitting that the above picture now immortalizes The Finnish Flash amongst the following: