In a (Finnish) Flash, He’s Gone
By Corianne Egan
There are six players in the NHL with more goals than Teemu Selanne, and the oldest is 30. There are 12 players with more overall points, and the oldest is 33. Teemu Selanne, at 39 years old, is still running with the best of them.
The ten-time All-Star has started off his 17th season in the NHL with a bang, scoring four goals in four games. On Saturday night, Selanne single-handedly triggered a come-from-behind win for Anaheim, scoring two goals in regulation to tie the game and a lone shootout goal for the 3-2 win over Philadelphia.
Every game Selanne plays this year is just a scheduled stop on his fairwell tour. He’s won almost every award, gotten his name on the Stanley Cup, and this will be his last season before retirement.
Even as he’s pushing 40, Selanne is still a force in a league that mostly fears players like Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin. He owns all of Anaheim’s scoring titles, contributes on the power play, and (as Philadelphia found out on Saturday) is still a very real scoring threat.
Selanne brins more than just his quick shot to the team in his later years. On a very young team, Selanne is an inspiration. He’s survived injuries, setbacks, and let downs. With age comes experience and knowledge. Yes, if he can stay healthy he will be productive, but there’s so much more than that now.
We know it’s early. The season is only two weeks old, and there haven’t been the twists and turns an 82 game season can bring. But the upside is that there are over 70 games left to watch the master work. Keep an eye on the leader board and number eight on the ice. The Teemu Selanne show is coming to a rink near you.
