Teemu Selanne

At 54 years old, Teemu Selanne has this physical status:

Teemu Ilmari Selänne (born July 3, 1970), is a Finnish former professional ice hockey winger.

He began his professional career in 1989–90 with Jokerit of the SM-liiga and played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Winnipeg Jets, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche.

Selänne is the highest scoring Finn in NHL history, and one of the highest overall; he retired in 2014 11th all-time with 684 goals and 15th with 1,457 points.

He holds numerous team scoring records for both the Winnipeg/Arizona franchise and the Anaheim Ducks.

His jersey number 8 was retired by the Ducks in 2015.

In 2017 Selänne was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

On June 26, 2017, Selänne was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as the second Finn after Jari Kurri.Selänne was a first round selection of the Jets, tenth overall, at the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, but initially remained in Finland.

He led the SM-liiga in scoring as part of Jokerit's Kanada-malja winning team in 1991–92 before moving to North America.

He broke into the NHL by scoring 76 goals in 1992–93.

It remains the league record for most goals by a rookie and earned him the Calder Memorial Trophy as the top first-year player in the NHL.

He has scored 50 goals in a season three times and topped 100 points on four occasions.

He played in 10 NHL All-Star Games, was named to four post-season All-Star Teams and won the inaugural Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy in 1998–99 as the league's leading goal scorer.

He was named recipient of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2005–06 for perseverance and dedication to the game and was a member of the Ducks' 2007 Stanley Cup championship team. Internationally, Selänne was a long-time member of the Finnish National Team.

He played in five World Championships, winning a silver and bronze medal, and in three Canada Cup/World Cup of Hockey tournaments.

A six-time Olympian, Selänne helped Finland win three bronze medals and, in 2006, a silver medal.

He is the all-time leader in scoring at the Olympic ice hockey tournament with 43 points.

A national star in his native country, Selänne is the subject of a top grossing biographical documentary in Finland.

Early life

Selänne was born on July 3, 1970, in Helsinki, Finland. He has a twin brother, Paavo and another brother, Panu. He was raised by his mother Liisa Viitanen (died 2018) and father Ilmari Selänne until they divorced in the late 1980s. The family lived for a time in Rauma before settling in Espoo around the time Teemu was 10 years old.

Selänne played three sports as a youth: hockey, bandy and association football. He played hockey and football with and against Paavo, though his brother ultimately gave up on both sports in favour of field hockey, where he was a member of numerous Finnish and European championship teams. Teemu was small as a youth, creating in him a competitive spirit and drive to improve his skills. Focusing on hockey, he eventually joined the junior squad of Jokerit in Helsinki.

As a young adult, Selänne attended business school for two years and served a mandatory one-year stint with the Finnish Defence Forces. During his tenure with Jokerit, he also spent three years as a kindergarten teacher. His experiences visiting kids at Helsinki's children's hospital led to him co-founding the Godfathers' Foundation, an organization that raises money for ill children.

Personal life

Selänne was born in Turku but his legal birthplace is Helsinki.

Selänne and his wife Sirpa have four children: sons Eemil, Eetu (a hockey player himself, starting as a freshman with the Northeastern University Huskies men's team in 2017 and currently as a part of the Curry College Colonels men's team) and Leevi, and daughter Veera. They are residents of Coto de Caza, California, a gated community in southern Orange County. Selänne is the primary partner in a steak restaurant in nearby Laguna Beach which he started with longtime friend Kevin Pratt, an Orange County restaurant manager; He had previously owned four restaurants in Finland.

Selänne is known for his fun-loving personality and is known to make an effort to sign autographs and shake hands. He is well-respected in the NHL by players, coaches, and fans, including those of opposing teams. Selänne considers Paul Kariya and Joe Sakic to be the best friends he earned in the NHL, and both attended his final regular-season game against the Avalanche.

An avid car collector, Selänne has entered the World Rally Championship (WRC) twice, finishing the Rally Finland 33rd overall in 1997 and 24th in 1998. He raced under the pseudonym "Teukka Salama" ("Teddy Flash" in English). In 1999 Selänne was involved in a crash while practicing for a rally race in his native Finland, an incident that was national news in the country. Due to Finnish laws that set fines based on an offender's salary, Selänne received a $50,000 fine for the incident.

A popular figure in Finland, Selänne's success in the NHL has been credited with aiding the growth of hockey in the country. He was once named the sexiest man in Finland by fashion magazine Eeva, and is the subject of the 2013 documentary film Selänne, directed by JP Siili, and which chronicles his life. The film became the highest grossing documentary in Finnish history within a month of its September 27 release, and was the third highest grossing locally produced film of the year.

In November 2019, Selänne released his authorized biography in North America titled "Teemu Selänne: My Life."

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Playing career

Selänne competed in junior hockey in Jokerit's growth programme, culminating in 1987–88 with a 43-goal, 66 point season, and a Finnish Junior A championship. His results led to the Winnipeg Jets' selection of him as their first-round pick, tenth overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. Selänne attended training camp with the Jets but then returned to Finland due to his military service.

Selänne joined Jokerit's senior team in the 1st season after graduating from junior hockey. Divisioona played football from 1988-1989 and scored 69 points in 35 games. Jokerit made the transition from 1989-1990 to the SM-liiga, and although Selänne missed the bulk of the season due to a leg injury, he had 12 points in 11 games played. Selänne played in a complete season from 1990-91. Selänne scored 33 goals and 58 points in 42 games. He was selected recipient of the Raimo Kilpiö award as the league's most gentlemanly player. Selänne's best season in the SM-liiga came in 1991-92, when he scored 62 points in 44 games. He won the Aarne Honkavaara trophy as the top goal scorer with 39 goals. He scored the winning goal in ten playoff games and accounted for the winning goal after Jokerit defeated Kanada-malja as the SM-liiga playoff champion.

At the time, the Jets' organizational philosophy was to encourage their European draft picks to flourish in their respective countries, but by 1991, the franchise was attempting to relocate him to Winnipeg. Selänne did not have a signed contract when he selected to play in North America for the 1992-93 season, he was still a restricted free agent. On a three-year deal worth $2.7 million, $1.5 million more than the Jets had been offering, the Calgary Flames signed him to an offer sheet. Despite being worried about a high salary, Winnipeg exercised the right to match the bid. Selänne made his NHL debut on October 6, 1992, and had two assists in the Jets' victory over the Detroit Red Wings. He scored his first NHL goal against San Jose Sharks goaltender Jeff Hackett two nights later.

Selenne scored his first hat trick in his fifth appearance in his fifth game and added 11 goals in his first 12 NHL games. He finished the season with 16 multi-goal games, four hat-tricks and a four-goal game, en route to beating the NHL record for goals by a rookie. On March 2, 1993, Mike Bossy scored 53 goals against the Quebec Nordiques, and on March 23, he scored his 110th point against the Toronto Maple Leafs, defeating Peter Bruton's rookie record. Selänne tied for fifth in scoring with 132 points, and his 76 goals tied for fourth in scoring with Alexander Mogilny for the League lead. His offensive performances helped bring the Jets back to the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs, where they lost a first-round matchup to the Vancouver Canucks. Selänne was voted the winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy as the year's rookie and competed in his first of ten career NBA All-Star Games in honor of his season.

Unable to maintain his similar pace in 1993-94, despite the fact that his rookie goals and points would all be more than 20 percent lower than his career-highs in 2010—Selänne's offensive output dropped by 30 percent midway through the season. He scored his 100th career goal against the Buffalo Sabres on January 12, 1994, his second-fastest in NHL history and only one game later than Bossy. Selenne finished the season with 54 points in 51 games, but the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim missed the final 33 games of the season after suffering a serious Achilles tendon injury in January 26. Selänne split the season between Jokerit and the Jets because of the 1994-1995 NHL lockout. Selänne was named to the tournament all-star squad when Jokerit defeated the 1994 European Cup while playing in Finland.

Selänne's career in Winnipeg came to an end midway through the 1995–96 season. When he was traded to Anaheim on February 6, 1996, he was leading the Jets with 72 points. Chad Kilger and Oleg Tverdovsky, along with a third-round pick at the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, were traded by the Mighty Ducks for Selänne, Marc Chouinard, and a fourth-round draft pick. Selänne was furious when learned of the agreement during practice and left the Winnipeg Arena without speaking to anyone.

Selänne's improved mood after a time of change; he rushed to thank his new team, which made the transaction the finest thing that had ever happened to him. He was paired with Paul Kariya, whom he met at the 1996 NHL All-Star Game, and the pair were tasked to lead the youth franchise to a post-season berth for the first time. Selänne's career in 28 games with the Ducks culminated in 36 points, and his Jets totals equals the 1995-96 season with 108 points. He continued his winning streak in 1996–97, racking up to 109, with 51 goals. He was named to the first All-Star team for the second time, and Kariya led the Mighty Ducks to their first playoff appearance in 1997. Anaheim defeated the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round before being eliminated by the Detroit Red Wings after being branded a "one-line team."

Selänne's fifth game in the All-Star Game's history, and after scoring a hat-trick, he became the first European player to be voted MVP. He completed the 1997-98 season with his third straight appearance, tied for the NHL lead over Peter Bondra, and he had his 500th career appearance against the Los Angeles Kings on January 12, 1998. He was selected to the second All-Star squad for both the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's MVP (finishing third) and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for gentlemanly conduct (as the runner-up). In 1998-99, the NHL created the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy to be rewarded to the league's top goal scorer; Selenne became the league's inaugural winner after a 47-goal season.

In 1999–2000, an 85-point season came, and he was the Mighty Ducks' top scorer with 59 points in 61 games. Anaheim, on the other hand, sat in last place in the Western Conference, and on March 5, 2001, she opted to trade. Selänne was sent to San Jose in exchange for Jeff Friesen, Steve Shields, and a second-round pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Selänne's debut with the Sharks was postponed by two weeks due to minor surgery to remove loose cartilage in his knee the next day. Selänne led the Sharks with 29 goals in 2001–02. After starting the season with 13 points in 12 games with San Jose, Selänne led the Sharks to a landslide in 12 games. In 2002–03, he served as both coach and manager (28; tied) and points (64) in both goals (and points (64) both goals. As the Sharks dipped out of the playoff hunt, they tried to make alterations; the New Jersey Devils attempted to add Selänne but the New Jersey Devils refused to pursue him, but the contract was blocked due to a no-trade clause in his deal.

Selänne later declined a bid for $6.5 million in 2003-2004 and instead signed a one-year, $5.8 million deal with the Colorado Avalanche, where he was joined by former Anaheim teammate Paul Kariya. In the hopes of winning the Stanley Cup together, the two decided to sign with the Avalanche together, arguing that it was their best chance of winning the Stanley Cup. Selenne's hope came to an end, with him scoring only 16 goals and 32 points, his lowest totals of his career to date—but the team was also suspended out of the lineup as a healthy scratch during a playoff game. He suffered through the year with knee injuries that eventually required surgery, his third such operation, and after the 2004–05 season was postponed due to a labour strike, he took the time off to recover.

Selänne returned to Anaheim in 2005-06 as a free agent, as the NHL resumed play. Selanne returned to number 13 in his first two NHL seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, as his normal number 8 was being worn by defenseman Sandish Ozolinsh. He scored his 1,000th career goal on January 30, 2006, beating Los Angeles 4-3. Selänne finished the season with 40 goals and 90 points, two of which were lead by the Mighty Ducks, and he was named the winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for dedication and perseverance.

The newly named Anaheim Ducks, after winning the Western Conference Final in the 2006 playoffs, went into the 2006–07 season with a high hopes; the team brought Selänne back with a one-year, $3.75 million contract. Selänne recorded many milestones during the season, including his second Finn Jari Kurri, who scored 500 goals against Colorado on November 22, 2006. He appeared in his 1,000th NHL game on December 31. Selänne played in his tenth All-Star Game in 2007, scoring his first hat-trick in six years (the 19th of his career) on January 12, 2007. If Selänne had a three-goal match, he was the same day he met with a friend with terminal cancer who begged to be sent the game puck. He then scored his 301st goal as a Duck on February 18, 2007, breaking Paul Kariya's franchise record.

Selänne made Anaheim's all-time leading playoff scorer when he scored his 30th point as a Duck against the Minnesota Wild on April 13. The Ducks advanced to the Stanley Cup Final against the Wild, Vancouver Canucks, and Detroit Red Wings; it was the first time in Selenne's career that he competed in the NHL's championship series. As the sentimental favorite to win the Stanley Cup, his teammates motivated themselves to win the championship for his own; Ducks goaltender Jean-Sébastien Gipuère said, "We don't have any better teammate." He's a guy who has never had fun. He deserves this, and if we can help him along the way, we would be greatly grateful. I'd just like to see Teemu win this thing." Selänne finished the playoffs with 15 points in 21 games, and after 14 NHL seasons, the 36-year-old Selänne and his teammates won the Stanley Cup with his teammates after defeating the Ottawa Senators in five games.

Selänne considered retirement after winning the Cup. He remained undecided on a return — and as a free agent — out of the Ducks lineup to start the 2007–08 season — until he finally decided to return and signed a one-year deal with Anaheim on January 28, 2008. He made his return to the New York Islanders on February 5th, and the Ducks posted their best record in the league from this point to the end of the season by winning 20 of 26 games. Selänne scored his 670th point as a member of the Ducks with an assist in a 4–2 victory over the Calgary Flames in his third game back. He set a new Kariya franchise record of 669 people with it.

Selänne returned to the Ducks in 2008-09 and has signed a two-year deal. He missed several weeks of the season due to a quad muscle injury sustained while cutting by his own skate of Denis Grebeshkov of the Edmonton Oilers, but he played in 65 games and scored 54 points. He appeared in his 1,100th game of the season and became the sixth European player to score 1,200 career points in his 100th appearance in a playoff game. Selänne set new records in 2009–2010, becoming the 18th player in NHL history to score 600 goals against the Vancouver Canucks on March 21, 2010, defeating childhood hero Jari Kurri.

Selänne finished eighth in NHL scoring in 2010–11, with 31 goals and 49 assists in 73 games. His 80 points were the third-highest in NHL history by a player over the age of 40 (Gordie Howe, 103 and Johnny Bucyk 83). He also scored his 1,300th point, beating Edmonton on January 16, 2011. Questions over whether Selänne would return for another NHL season had dominated discussion, and his decision to return from 2011-2012 was pushed forward by a knee injury that left him uncertain if he'd be able to play. Selänne, on the other hand, appeared in every game for the Ducks and became the team's oldest player to play a complete 82 games this season while also leading the team with 66 points. A new Winnipeg Jets franchise joined the NHL 15 years after the original Jets were relocated, and fans in the Manitoba capital continued to celebrate Selänne as a local hero. In his first return to Winnipeg, he was greeted by exuberant fans who booed every other Ducks player. Selänne was selected to the Western Conference roster for the 2012 NHL All-Star Game but decided against it and asked the league to send his teammate Corey Perry instead.

Selänne revealed that 2013-2014 would be his 21st and last season of his NHL career after a 24-point effort in the lockout-shortened 2012-2013 season. Since being struck in the chest by an errant stick that knocked out several teeth and required 40 stitches to close cuts, he missed several games early in the season. Selänne had 27 points in 64 games for the Ducks, his last regular-season game, a 3–2 win over Colorado, was a moment of his career. He wore the captain's "C" in place of Ryan Getzlaf for the game, and the Anaheim crowd erupted when he took a shift. Following the game, Selänne was named the game's first, second, and third star, as well as former Anaheim teammate Jean-Sébastien Gibère, who was also considering retirement.

Selänne made his final post-season appearance in the 2014 playoffs. He had six points in 12 games, but he was suspended from the lineup for one game against the Dallas Stars, enraging Ducks fans. On May 16, 2014, he appeared in his final game after the Ducks were eliminated by Los Angeles. Fans, colleagues, and adversaries alike greeted Selänne as the team returned to the rink for a final lap.

Due to licensing constraints, no more active players in the NHL use a Jofa branded helmet due to Selänne's retirement.

Selänne's international debut came with the Finnish national junior team. He played 16 points in six games at the 1988 European Junior Championships, and was named to the tournament's all-star team. Selänne made his debut with the senior team at the 1991 World Championships in 1989 for the sixth place Finns. He finished third in tournament scoring with 11 points for the fifth place finishers. He made his Olympic debut at the 1992 Albertville Games after competing in the 1991 Canada Cup. Selänne tied for seventh in overall scoring at 11 points, while others tied for fourth in overall scoring at 11 points.

Selänne was four years before he returned to international play in 1996 and 1996 World Cup of Hockey, averaging of over a point per game in both tournaments; Finland finished fifth each time. Selänne earned ten points in five games at the 1998 Winter Olympics. He was the tournament's top scorer on a Finnish team that he described as the best he's ever played on and the best in the tournament, but he lost the semifinal, 7–4 to Russia. He suffered an abdominal muscle injury that prevented him from participating in the third place game, which Finland defeated Canada 3–2; Selänne and his teammates ended the tournament as the bronze medalists.

At the 1999 World Championship, the Finns finished a top-two-game series system and a ten-minute sudden victory overtime if the respective team wins one game. Finns and Sweden lost their semifinals, but the Finns advanced to the final in the overtime period after Selänne set up Marko Tuomainen's winning goal. The Czech Republic secured the gold medal after defeating Finland, which was also in a sudden victory period. Selänne ended the tournament with 11 points and was named to the all-star team and named the Most Valuable Player of the World Championship.

Selänne, the Finnish captain, won a significant preliminary round victory over Russia in 2002 and led his country to a crucial preliminary round victory over Russia, but the Finns finished in sixth place with only three goals and no assists in four games. The World Championships took place in Finland, and the hosts were voted the favourite to win the title. Despite Selänne's eight goals, Finland lost their quarterfinal match against Sweden and finished fifth overall.

Selänne's difficult NHL season with Colorado ended with the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. The tournament was about finding his joy in playing hockey for Selänne. The Finns went undefeated to advance to the final, but Selänne and his colleagues had to settle for second place after losing the championship game to Canada, 3–2. Selänne joined Jere Lehtinen and Saku Koivu on the best team Finland has ever assembled for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. The Finns defeated their opposition 19–2 on the group stage, followed the United States and shutting down Russia in the semi-finals. The Finns were defeated in the final by Sweden, 3–2, and were relegated to the silver medal. Selänne was voted to the all-star team and awarded the Directorate Award as top forward in the tournament, scoring six goals and 11 points.

After a bronze medal-winning effort at the 2008 IIHF World Championship, Selänne announced that he would withdraw from international competition. However, he returned to compete in his fifth Olympic tournament at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Selänne scored his 37th point in Olympic hockey on February 19, 2010, defeating Germany in a game against Germany. With a 5–3 victory over Slovakia in the third round, the Finns lifted the bronze medal.

Selänne was selected to the Finnish team for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, his sixth appearance at the tournament. Selänne scored a goal and an assist as the Finns defeated the host Russians from the tournament and then scored two goals in the bronze medal match, beating the United States 5–0. Selenne, 43, became the oldest player to win a medal in Olympic hockey, a record that was later broken by compatriot Riikka Sallinen in 2018. As voted by the media, he was voted the most valuable player of the Olympic tournament and gained six points to his Olympic record of 43.

Career statistics

Bold indicates led league

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