A move to the NHL followed for 1992-93, and in spectacular fashion, as Selanne set the hockey world on it's ear with an astounding 76 goals in his rookie season, the all-time NHL rookie record and a mark that still ranks as tied for fifth for Most Goals in a Season for all players. Selanne's 56 assists gave him 132 points for fifth place in the overall league scoring race and a natural choice for the Calder Trophy.
Selanne during his memorable rookie season
Selanne had originally requested to wear #8, but with that being taken by Randy Carlyle, he opted for the #13 as a rookie, changing to #8 when it became available after Carlyle's retirement at the end of the season.
A torn Achillies tendon limited him to 51 games in his second season which contributed to the Jets failing to make the playoffs. He would finish with 25 goals and 54 points in the 51 games.
During the NHL lockout of 1994, Selanne would return to Jokerit Helsinki, along with Jari Kurri, and help Jokerit win the 1995 European Cup.
Upon his return to the NHL he would collect 48 points in 45 games.
The 1995-96 season would be one of change for Selanne. After playing 51 games in Winnipeg, scoring 72 points, he would be traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in a salary dump by the financially struggling Jets during their final season in Winnipeg. The trade had little affect on Selanne's scoring, as he immediately clicked with new teammate Paul Kariya, scoring 36 points in the final 28 games of the season in Anaheim, giving him a total of 108 for the season.
The mighty duo of Kariya and Selanne
1996-97 would see Selanne reach the 50 goal mark for the second time, pumping in 51 goals and 109 points in 78 games, good for second in league scoring. The following season would see another 52 goals, tied for first in the NHL.
47 goals in 1998-99 gave Selanne the outright goal scoring title and his 107 points were good for second overall in points once more.
After another season with the Mighty Ducks in 1999-00, Selanne would be again traded, this time 366 miles down Interstate 5 to the San Jose Sharks. His next two seasons with the Sharks would see his offensive production decline, with point totals of 54 and then 64 points.
Now a free agent, Selanne and former teammate Kariya packaged themselves together in a cut-rate deal in an effort to win a Stanley Cup. The pair joined the Colorado Avalanche, a perennial cup contender at the time. Unfortunately, a rather dismal season instead followed, with Selanne managing just 32 points in 78 games, 22 points lower than his lowest previous season total.
Plans to compete once again for Jokerit Helsinki during the lockout season of 2004-05 were scuttled by knee surgery and Selanne then signed to return to the Mighty Ducks for 2005-06. A rejuvenated Selanne surprised his critics by scoring 40 goals and 50 assists for a 90 point season, his highest total since 1999. He was also awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2006.
Selanne had a fine season on his return to Anaheim in 2005-06
Proving the previous year was no fluke, another even stronger season would follow as Selanne scored 48 goals, third most in the NHL, and 94 points. It was during that 2006-07 season that Selanne would hit the 500 goal mark on this date by scoring on Jose Theodore of the Colorado Avalanche with a wrist shot at 14:54 of the second period.
Interestingly, Selanne's coach at the time was Carlyle, the player who had already taken Selanne's preferred #8 on his arrival in Winnipeg 14 years earlier. Selanne was the second Finnish-born NHL player to reach 500 goals after his former Jokerit teammate Kurri.
Selanne scoring his 500th goal on this date in 2006
Interestingly, Selanne's coach at the time was Carlyle, the player who had already taken Selanne's preferred #8 on his arrival in Winnipeg 14 years earlier. Selanne was the second Finnish-born NHL player to reach 500 goals after his former Jokerit teammate Kurri.
Selanne and the Ducks would cap off the 2006-07 by winning their first Stanley Cup by defeating the Ottawa Senators in five games. It was during that season's playoffs that Selanne would score his 30th playoff point and set a new franchise record.
Selanne reaches the pinnacle and gets to raise the Stanley Cup
He would skip the first half of the following season and return to the Ducks in late January to compete in the final 26 games of the Ducks schedule followed by an early playoff exit. 2008-09 saw Selanne continue to be a productive player, with 54 points in 65 games after missing time due to an injury, with 2009-10 being a virtual repeat, as Selanne was again limited to 48 points in just 54 games, causing some to suggest his career was in decline.
Selanne, however, had other ideas and a 31 goal, 80 point season in 2010-11 was his best since 2007. He backed that up with a full 82 games in 2011-12 which saw him score 26 goals and 66 points.
He would play two additional seasons in Anaheim before retiring from the NHL with his final career totals being 1,451 games played with 684 goals and 1,457 points for greater than a point per game average for his entire NHL career.
Selanne, however, had other ideas and a 31 goal, 80 point season in 2010-11 was his best since 2007. He backed that up with a full 82 games in 2011-12 which saw him score 26 goals and 66 points.
He would play two additional seasons in Anaheim before retiring from the NHL with his final career totals being 1,451 games played with 684 goals and 1,457 points for greater than a point per game average for his entire NHL career.
He currently holds the NHL records for single season goals and points by a rookie, goals by a Finnish born player and is the Anaheim Ducks career leader in games played, goals, assists and points and club single season records for goals (52) and points (109) as well as the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes franchise leader in single season goals (76) and points (132). He scored an additional 44 goals and 88 playoff points and won the Calder, Richard and Masterton trophies during his career in addition to the Stanley Cup during his 21 year career.
Today's featured jersey is a 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks Teemu Selanne jersey as worn when Selanne scored his 500th career goal.
After starting life in 1993-94 as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim under the ownership of the Disney Corporation, the franchise was sold and renamed to the more conventional Anaheim Ducks for 2006-07. Along with the name change, the team used the opportunity to move away from the eggplant and jade colors of the past and adopt a new scheme of black, gold, orange and white.
Today's featured jersey was worn for only one season until the change to the Reebok Edge jerseys, but the same design carried over and remained in use through the 2013-14 season until being replaced by the team's alternate jersey which was introduced back in 2010-11.
Today's featured jersey is a 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks Teemu Selanne jersey as worn when Selanne scored his 500th career goal.
After starting life in 1993-94 as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim under the ownership of the Disney Corporation, the franchise was sold and renamed to the more conventional Anaheim Ducks for 2006-07. Along with the name change, the team used the opportunity to move away from the eggplant and jade colors of the past and adopt a new scheme of black, gold, orange and white.
Today's featured jersey was worn for only one season until the change to the Reebok Edge jerseys, but the same design carried over and remained in use through the 2013-14 season until being replaced by the team's alternate jersey which was introduced back in 2010-11.
Bonus jersey: Today's bonus jersey is a 1992-93 Winnipeg Jets Teemu Selanne jersey from his record setting rookie season.
This jersey features the Stanley Cup Centennial patch worn by all the players during the season, only with the unique borderless version worn only by Winnipeg, as all the other teams had a bold, white outline around their patches. The borderless version is presumably from the latter part of the 1992-93 season, as in photos of Selanne with the borderless patch, he is now wearing the assistant captains' "A", while photos of Selanne with the bordered variation of the patch are without the "A".
Additionally, this jersey has the "Goals for Kids" patch worn on the left shoulder of the Jets jerseys in recognition of the teams charity program.
Additionally, this jersey has the "Goals for Kids" patch worn on the left shoulder of the Jets jerseys in recognition of the teams charity program.
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Here is video of Selanne breaking the rookie goal scoring record, followed by his assault on the rookie point record.
Here, Jets fans angrily react to Selanne's trade to the Mighty Ducks, already knowing they are going to lose their club at the end of the season.
Next, Selanne takes the Stanley Cup to Helsinki and shares it with 40,000 of his closest friends.
Next is a touching story about Selanne scoring a hat trick for a terminally ill friend.
For further viewing, we recommend Teemu Selanne - The New Boss Parts 1, 2 and 3 about his arrival on the NHL scene, essentially the long version of the first entry in today's video section.
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