Selanne not out of skill and smiles yet
Finnish Flash leads Anaheim with 65 points
VANCOUVER • If the Vancouver Canucks needed any extra incentive in chasing a second straight Presidents’ Trophy, all they had to do Tuesday was look at the opposition bench. Look for the grinning guy with the shaggy hair and infectious smile amid a dour group of playoff also-rans.
In what could be his final Rogers Arena appearance, Teemu Selanne was doing what he does best following the game-day skate. The 41-year-old Finn was telling anyone within earshot what it means to keep playing the game with enthusiasm despite a brutal season for the Anaheim Ducks. He not only leads his club in scoring with 65 points (26 goals, 39 assists), he leads in gaining respect from his peers and standing ovations from patrons. It’s been that way since he fired a rookie record 76 goals with the Winnipeg Jets in 1992-93 and continued when he became the first European to score three goals in the all-star game, a feat that awarded the car fanatic with a Dodge Durango 4×4 on Jan. 18, 1998, in Vancouver. All this despite a left
knee that would eventually bother him to such a degree that it required surgery last summer. No wonder he keeps getting tossed bouquets.
“I’ll always remember my first NHL game and there was Teemu right beside me,” said Canucks centre Andrew Ebbett, who played for the Ducks in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. “It was something special that I’ ll keep for sure. He’s definitely one of the best. An ultimate professional and it was the consistency and the work ethic he brought every day.
“I don’t know what his plans are, but he could keep going for another year or two for sure. I don’t think there’s a guy who has a better first two or three strides than him, so I’m hoping he keeps playing.”
Selanne wasn’t tipping his hand Tuesday. As expected, the pending unrestricted free agent will let his body do the talking in the off-season and if the 2007 Stanley Cup champion wants to return after being one of the league’s best bargains at Us$4-million, his loyalty will probably mean a return to the desperate Ducks, who will need something to market this summer.
“I thought I was going to play two, three or four years max and go back,” the Helsinki native said. “I didn’t know how much I would enjoy the league and there were so many question marks. Now, 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 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. There are no personal goals for myself. We feel we have a good team here and that’s why it’s very disappointing and the second half proved we can be one of the top teams in the league. We just put ourselves so far behind the eight ball.”
While the Ducks lead the season series 2-1, they have lost three straight and some of their top guns have lost their touch. Ryan Getzlaf has but nine goals this season and hasn’t scored in 14 games. Niklas Hagman also has just nine goals and hasn’t scored in 19 games while Jason Blake — who has two goals in the season series — has but seven goals. Then there’s Selanne. He has three goals in his last four games.
“He’s been one of the best players of all time,” said Roberto Luongo, who will start in goal for the Canucks. “At his age, he’s still finding ways to produce and it’s hard to do that once you get up there. He’s got a knack for the net and making little plays that are tough to notice. But the way he disguises his shot, it’s hard to pick up sometimes. He’s kept on that high level his whole career.”
The Canucks are riding a season high six-game win streak despite Daniel Sedin missing his seventh game with a concussion, Kevin Bieksa missing his fourth for maintenance purposes and Aaron Rome his fifth with a knee ailment. And Keith Ballard has missed 27 games with a concussion.