Teemu Selänne Teemu Ilmari Selänne ( [ ˈteːmu ˈilmɑri ˈselænːe ] ) , nicknamed " The Finnish Flash " ( born 3 July 1970 ) , is a Finnish former professional ice hockey winger . He began his professional career in 1989 – 90 with HIFK Helsinki 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 / Phoenix / Arizona franchise and the Anaheim Ducks . His jersey number 8 was retired by the Ducks in 2015 . On 27 January 2017 , in a ceremony during the All - Star Weekend in Los Angeles , Selanne was part of the second group of players to be named one of the ' 100 Greatest NHL Players ' in history . 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 Game , 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 . Playing career . Jokerit ( 1988 – 92 ) . Selänne played three years of junior hockey in Jokerit ' s development program , culminating in 1987 – 88 with a 43 - goal , 66 point season in 33 games and a Finnish Junior A championship . His performance prompted the National Hockey League ( NHL ) ' s Winnipeg Jets to select him with their first round pick , tenth overall , at the 1988 NHL Entry Draft . Selänne attended training camp with the Jets , but returned to Finland owing to his military service . After graduating from junior hockey , Selänne joined Jokerit ' s senior team in the 1 . Divisioona in 1988 – 89 and scored 69 points in 35 games . Jokerit moved up to the SM - liiga in 1989 – 90 , and while Selänne missed the majority of the season due to a leg injury , he scored 12 points in 11 games played . Playing a full season in 1990 – 91 , Selänne scored 33 goals and 58 points in 42 games . He was named the recipient of the Raimo Kilpiö trophy as the league ' s most gentlemanly player , Selänne ' s best season in the SM - liiga came in 1991 – 92 when he recorded 62 points in 44 games . With 39 goals , he won the Aarne Honkavaara trophy as top goal scorer . He added 17 points in ten playoff games , and scored the winning goal as Jokerit won the Kanada - malja as SM - liiga playoff champion . Winnipeg Jets ( 1992 – 96 ) . Teemu Selänne was selected by the Winnipeg Jets 10th overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft ( the last player selected in the first round by Jets general manager John Ferguson , Sr . , who was fired four months later ) and was contracted by the Jets for the 1992 – 93 NHL season . Selänne initially asked to wear number 8 , however , it was already taken by Randy Carlyle who would eventually become his coach in the Ducks , thus he had to wear number 13 . Selänne ' s first NHL goal came against Jeff Hackett of the San Jose Sharks on October 8 , 1992 . He went on to score an all - time rookie record of 76 goals in his rookie season , which made him the first European to lead the league in goal scoring , along with Alexander Mogilny , and also makes him one of only eight players to have scored 70 or more goals in one NHL season . He is also the holder of the rookie point scoring record with 132 points , and he along with Mogilny are the most recent players in NHL history to score 70 goals in a season ; no NHL player has scored more than 69 goals in a season since . Following his rookie season , Jets players Keith Tkachuk and Alexei Zhamnov formed a line known as " The Olympic Line , " as all three were Olympians . This was notable in that it was prior to the NHL signing an agreement with the IIHF , providing for a break to allow select players to compete for their respective countries in the quadrennial Olympic Tournament . Selänne suffered a torn Achilles tendon in his second season , limiting him to 51 games . The Jets had suffered a six - game quarterfinal loss to the Vancouver Canucks in 1993 ; and with Selänne injured , missed the 1994 playoffs . Along with fellow Finnish NHL - star Jari Kurri , Selänne played for Jokerit during the 1994 – 95 NHL lockout . Selänne scored 7 goals and assisted 12 others in 20 games for Jokerit . Selänne was part of Jokerit when the team won the 1995 European Cup . After the lockout , Selänne returned to the Winnipeg Jets and played the remainder of the 1994 – 95 season and started the 1995 – 96 season with the Jets . On February 7 , 1996 , he was traded , along with Marc Chouinard and a fourth - round draft pick , to the Mighty Ducks Of Anaheim in return for Chad Kilger , Oleg Tverdovsky , and a third - round pick . The trade was one in a series of moves made by the Jets as a result of the team ' s financial difficulties . Selänne however was first angered at the Jets management for trading him , but it all subsided when he learned of the situation in Anaheim . Anaheim , San Jose and Colorado . In Anaheim , Selänne teamed up with Paul Kariya to form one of the most potent scoring duos in the NHL and also picked a nomination for the Lady Byng Trophy , losing to Joe Sakic . In 1998 Selänne became the first European player to be named NHL All - Star Game MVP , after scoring a hat trick . Selänne won the NHL goalscoring titles in 1998 and 1999 . On March 5 , 2001 , Selänne was again traded , this time to the San Jose Sharks for Jeff Friesen , Steve Shields , and a second - round draft pick . Selänne was involved in controversy with the Sharks in 2002 – 03 . On the other side of the United States , New Jersey Devil Scott Gomez was struggling under the management style of Devils coach Pat Burns . Gomez and Selänne were almost swapped in a multi - player trade , but at the 11th hour Selänne vetoed being sent to New Jersey . Selänne suffered a slight drop of performance during his time with the Sharks but he still managed to score 54 and 64 points during his two full season with the Sharks . After two full seasons in San Jose , Selänne signed with the Colorado Avalanche as a free agent on July 3 , 2003 ( his 33rd birthday ) where he was again joined by Kariya . After a season ( 2003 – 04 ) in Colorado that saw his production decline , overall , Selänne ' s time in Colorado was considered a disappointment since he didn ' t manage to gain a steady form with Paul Kariya as was expected . Selänne underwent knee surgery during the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout and signed with Jokerit in the Finnish National League . He was unable to play any games in the regular season , because rehabilitation took longer than expected , although he played that season in the SM - liiga playoffs . Return to Anaheim . Selänne rejoined the Mighty Ducks signing a one year contract on August 22 , 2005 . With his knee rehabilitated , Selänne led the Mighty Ducks in scoring in 2005 – 06 despite playing without former teammate and scoring counterpart Paul Kariya . Selänne ' s statistical tally this season registered 40 goals and 50 assists for 90 points in 80 games . Selänne recorded his 1 , 000th NHL point on January 30 , 2006 , with his second goal against the Los Angeles Kings , becoming the 70th player , as well as the seventh European player , to achieve the milestone . Selänne was back amongst the NHL ' s elite players after the 2005 – 06 NHL season , when he was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy , which recognizes perseverance , sportsmanship and dedication to hockey , designating Selänne as the comeback player of the year . Selänne received a one - year , $ 3 . 75 - million contract extension for the 2006 – 2007 season with the newly renamed Anaheim Ducks , after deciding to continue his NHL career . He also changed his jersey number from # 13 back to # 8 for 2006 – 2007 season , the number he ' d worn during his first stint with the Ducks franchise several years earlier . Selänne scored his 500th NHL career goal against the Colorado Avalanche after getting by former Avalanche teammate and captain Joe Sakic to find the net against Colorado ' s José Théodore . Selänne joined fellow countryman Jari Kurri as the only Finnish - born players to have scored 500 goals in their NHL careers . On November 26 , 2006 , in a game against the Calgary Flames , Selänne scored his 600th point as a Duck . Selänne played in his 1 , 000th NHL game on December 31 , 2006 , against the Minnesota Wild On February 7 , 2007 , in a game against the San Jose Sharks , Selänne scored his 524th career goal to move into a tie with Bryan Trottier for 27th on the NHL ' s all - time list . The " Finnish Flash " moved past Trottier with a first period goal against the Coyotes in Phoenix on February 15 , 2007 , with his father , Ilmari , in attendance ( the fathers of 18 Anaheim players and one of the player ' s father - in - law were at the game as part of a team - building experience ) . On January 10 , 2007 , Selänne heard grave news from a seriously ill friend . " Today he found out that the cancer has spread to his brain , " Selänne said . " I don ' t think he has much time to live . So I told him if I scored a hat trick I ' d keep the puck . I told him the odds weren ' t very good that it would happen . Obviously it was really a sad day today , but what are you going to do ? Life is not fair sometimes . " The next day against the Dallas Stars , Selänne would indeed achieve a hat trick , the 19th of his career and the first since 2001 . Anaheim won the game , 5 – 1 . Selänne tied the Anaheim franchise record for goals ( previously held by Paul Kariya ) with his 300th in a Ducks jersey on February 17 , 2007 , when he flipped a second - period power - play goal past Mathieu Garon in a game against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center . One night later , Selänne took sole possession of the franchise record , scoring his 301st goal with Anaheim with a power - play goal at Honda Center in Anaheim in the second consecutive game against the Kings . With two goals against the Vancouver Canucks on March 11 , 2007 , Selänne became the first player over the age of 35 to record consecutive 40 - goal seasons . The two goals , both on the power - play , moved Selänne into a tie with Hall of Famer Frank Mahovlich on the NHL ' s all - time goal - scoring list at 533 , the 26th highest total in the league ' s history . Finally , they gave him 107 power - play goals in a Ducks uniform , moving him into a tie for the franchise record with Kariya . Selänne removed his former linemate from the record book with a power - play goal in a victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 16 , taking over sole possession on the Anaheim franchise record . Selänne ' s two - goal effort against Chicago also moved him past Mahovlich , for sole possession of 26th place on the NHL ' s all - time goal - scoring list . Selänne completed the 2006 – 2007 NHL regular season with 48 goals ( third best in the league ) and became the first player in NHL history over the age of 35 to record consecutive seasons with 40 - plus goals . He won the Stanley Cup in that 2006 - 2007 NHL season . He also led the NHL with 25 power - play goals , tying the Anaheim club record that he set in 1998 – 1999 . His 10 game - winning goals tied him for the most in that category this season . He failed , however , to become the oldest player of all time with a 50 - goal NHL season ( he was 36 that campaign ; 35 - year - old Johnny Bucyk scored 51 goals for the 1970 - 71 Boston Bruins ) . With an assist on a goal by François Beauchemin in Game 2 of the Ducks opening round playoff series against the Minnesota Wild on April 13 , 2007 , Selänne picked up his 30th playoff point in an Anaheim jersey – establishing a new franchise record . The Ducks would go on to defeat the Ottawa Senators in 5 games in the Stanley Cup Finals , giving the team and Selänne their first Stanley Cup championship . Selänne considered retirement after he and the Ducks had won the Stanley cup in 2007 . On January 28 , Selänne signed a one - year contract with the Ducks for the remainder of the 2007 – 08 NHL season . On February 12 , he tied Paul Kariya for most points in franchise history after scoring a goal against the Colorado Avalanche . On February 17 , he passed Kariya when he scored his 670th point over the Calgary Flames On February 24 , Selänne earned his 20th career hat trick against the Chicago Blackhawks , increasing his career goals total to 546 , placing him 25th on the all - time list , bypassing his idol Maurice ' Rocket ' Richard . He was named the NHL ' s " First Star of the Week " for the week ending February 24 . The game also gave him his 600th career assist . On September 28 , 2008 , Selänne signed a two - year , $ 5 . 25 million contract with the Ducks . On October 29 , 2008 , Selänne scored his 21st career hat - trick , the most amongst active players , setting a new franchise - record 12 for career hat - tricks . All of his three goals came on power - play when the Ducks beat the Detroit Red Wings in over - time 5 - 4 . Selänne is now two hat - tricks behind Jari Kurri , who has 23 . On October 31 , 2008 , Selänne increased his goal total to 560 , tying with Guy Lafleur for 20th place on the all - time list . On December 19 , 2008 , Selänne suffered an injury to his left quad muscle from his own skate after taking a hit from Denis Grebeshkov of the Edmonton Oilers , On January 28 , 2009 , Selänne came back off his injury and played with the Ducks against the Chicago Blackhawks , the Ducks lost that game 3 - 2 but since then Selänne has gotten 27 points including 13 goals and 14 assists . On April 16 , 2009 , the Ducks made it to the playoffs as the 8th seed . The Ducks defeated the Sharks in 6 games where Selänne contributed 1 goal and 1 assist . Then the Ducks faced the Red Wing where the Ducks were eliminated in 7 games where Selänne contributed 3 goals and 1 assist . On July 9 , 2009 , the Montreal Canadiens ' captain , Selänne ' s countryman and a long term linemate in the national team , Saku Koivu , signed with the Ducks . On October 8 , 2009 , Selänne scored twice against the Boston Bruins . Just two days later , on October 10 , Selänne scored two goals and added a shootout winner against the Philadelphia Flyers , leading his team to its second victory in the fourth game of the season . On March 21 , 2010 , Selänne scored his 600th career NHL goal against the Colorado Avalanche on goalie Craig Anderson . He is the 18th NHL player in history to score 600 goals , and joined Luc Robitaille and Mario Lemieux as the only Calder Trophy winners to score 600 . On April 2 , 2010 , he scored his 602nd and 603rd NHL goals , passing Jari Kurri ' s record for Finnish born players of 601 . He ended up signing once again with the ducks Selänne finished eighth in NHL scoring in 2010 - 11 with 31 goals and 49 assists in 73 games . His 80 points was 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 , achieving the mark with a two - goal performance on 16 January 2011 , against Edmonton . Questions about whether Selänne would return for another NHL season had become an annual topic of discussion , and his decision to return for 2011 - 12 NHL season was delayed by a knee operation that left him uncertain if he would be capable of playing . Nonetheless , Selänne appeared in every game for the Ducks and became the oldest player in NHL history to play an entire 82 - game season while leading the team with 66 points . Sixteen years after the original Jets relocated , a new Winnipeg Jets franchise joined the NHL , and fans in the Manitoba capital continued to view Selänne as a local hero . In his first return to Winnipeg , he was cheered by exuberant fans who booed every other Ducks player . Selänne was named to the Western Conference roster for the 2012 NHL All - Star Game , but declined his invitation and asked the League to instead send his teammate Corey Perry . Following a 24 - point effort in the Lockout Shortened 2012 - 13 Season , Selänne announced that 2013 - 14 would be the 21st and final season of his NHL career . He missed several games early in the season after he was struck in the face by an errant stick that knocked out several teeth and required 40 stitches to close cuts . Selänne recorded 27 points in 64 games for the Ducks . his final regular season game , a 3 – 2 victory over Colorado , was a celebration of his career . He wore the captain ' s " C " in place of Ryan Getzlaf for the game and as it neared conclusion , received standing ovations from the Anaheim crowd each time he took a shift . Selänne was named the game ' s first , second and third star following the game and took a celebratory lap with Colorado goaltender and former Anaheim teammate Jean - Sebastien Giguere , who was also contemplating retirement . Selänne ' s made his final post - season appearance during the 2014 playoffs . He had six points in 12 games , but was also held out of the lineup for one game against the Dallas Stars , a decision that angered Ducks fans . He played his final game on 16 May 2014 , as the Ducks were eliminated by Los Angeles . Following the contest , Selänne was saluted by fans , teammates and opponents alike , and took a final lap around the rink . International . Together with Saku Koivu and Jere Lehtinen , Selänne has formed the backbone of Team Finland during his reign . He has appeared in over 120 international games : five Olympics , five Ice Hockey World Championships , the 1991 Canada Cup , and the 1996 and 2004 World Cup of Hockey . Selänne played for Finland at the 1991 World Championship , hosted in his native Finland , and was one of the top scorers in the tournament with 11 points , behind only Mats Sundin and Jari Kurri . He also played in the 1991 Canada Cup , where Finland qualified for the semi - finals for the first time . At the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville , Finland ended up in a disappointing seventh place after losing 6 – 1 to the Unified Team in the quarter - finals . Selänne was top scorer for his team with 11 points . After a long season he chose not to participate in the 1992 World Championship , but Finland still managed to capture its first ever medal at the World Championship level . Selänne did not take part in the 1995 World Championship , where Finland took its first gold medal , beating Sweden 4 – 1 in Stockholm ' s Globen arena . In 1996 , Selänne played his second World Championship , and also in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey ( successor to the Canada Cup ) , his team finishing fifth in both . Selänne was teamed up with Saku Koivu at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano , where they tied as the tournament ' s top scorers . Finland beat Canada 3 – 2 in the bronze medal game . However , Selänne was injured in the previous ( semifinal ) game against Russia , and did not play in the bronze medal game . At the 1999 World Championship , he was again combined with Koivu . Finland was beaten by the Czech Republic in the final games . With 11 points , he finished second in scoring , 5 points behind Koivu . Both were elected to the tournament ' s All - Star lineup , and Selänne also received the tournament ' s MVP award . Selänne ' s next duty came at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City . Due to absence of Koivu , who was battling cancer at the time , Selänne was named the captain of the Finnish team , but was unable to carry the team to win a medal . The team was crushed by the United States in their first game , but made it to the medal round , where they were knocked out by the eventual gold medalists , Canada . Finland finished in sixth place . The following year , the World Championship was held in Finland . The San Jose Sharks ( Selänne ' s team at the time ) failed to qualify for playoffs , allowing Selänne to play for the national team . This was his second tournament on home soil , with Finland finishing in 5th place . He managed to score 11 points and was the tournament ' s leading goal scorer with eight goals . Selänne ' s second World Cup opportunity came in 2004 , but a nagging knee injury knee hindered his performance . He tallied only four points in six games . Finland won the silver medal , losing 3 – 2 to Canada in the final . At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino , Selänne was again teamed up with Koivu and Lehtinen . Finland put up a 19 – 2 goal difference in the group stage . Finland came up short against Sweden in the final game . Selänne was once again the joint top scorer with Koivu and also tied for most goals with fellow Finn Olli Jokinen . Selänne and Koivu were named in the Tournament All - Star lineup and Selänne was elected the best forward of the tournament . In summer 2007 , Selänne announced his retirement from Finnish national team play , stating that there is room for only one " Raipe " . However , Selänne accepted Doug Shedden ' s invitation to join the Finnish national team for the World Championship , coming out from his short - lived international retirement . After the 2008 World Championship , Selänne once again announced his retirement from international competition . However , at the beginning of the 2008 – 09 NHL season , Selänne contemplated playing at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver . Coming out of international retirement once again , Selänne joined the Finnish team for the 2010 Winter Olympics . At the tournament , he became the all - time leader for points scored in the Olympics . In Finland ' s first game of the tournament , played against Belarus , Selänne had an assist , which tied him in first place with Valeri Kharlamov of Russia , Vlastimil Bubnik of the former Czechoslovakia , and Harry Watson of Canada , all of whom have 36 points in Olympic competition . In Finland ' s second game , against Germany , Selänne had another assist , giving him a total of 37 points throughout his Olympic career . Selänne was named to the Finnish team for the 2014 Sochi Olympics , which marked his sixth appearance at the tournament . In the quarterfinals , Selänne scored a goal and an assist as the Finns ousted the host Russians from the tournament , then added two goals in the bronze medal match in a 5 – 0 victory over the United States . The 43 - year - old Selänne became the oldest player to win a medal in Olympic hockey . He was named most valuable player of the Olympic tournament as selected by the media , and added six points to his Olympic record career total of 43 Playing style . Selänne ' s primary attribute is his skating speed . Nicknamed the " Finnish Flash " , he uses his speed to evade opposition defenders . According to hall of fame defensemen Nicklas Lidström , " He ' s one of those snipers that can put the puck on net because he finds openings and he knows where to be on the ice " . Former teammate Jean - Sébastien Giguère added , " He ' s just a very elegant player . He ' s got a very nice stride to his skating , he plays with a lot of energy , a lot of enthusiasm . . . with the skill he has , it just makes for a heck of a great player . " An elite offensive player , Selänne is the highest scoring Finnish - born player in NHL history . He ended his career with 684 goals , 11th all - time in NHL history , and 1 , 457 points , 15th best . His 110 game - winning goals tied him with Brett Hull for fourth all - time . Selänne is one of eight players to score 70 or more goals in one season . He holds numerous records , including most goals , 76 , and points , 132 , by a rookie . Both totals are also single - season records for the Winnipeg Jets / Phoenix / Arizona Coyotes franchise . The holder of most major franchise records for the Ducks , Selänne leads the team at 457 goals , 531 assists , 988 points and 966 games played . He also holds single season records with 52 goals and 109 points . Even before his playing career had ended , the Ducks announced that Selänne ' s number 8 would be the first number retired by the franchise . The team formally retired his number on 11 January 2015 , prior to a game against the Jets Personal . Selänne and his wife Sirpa have four children : sons Eemil , Eetu 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 restaurant in nearby Laguna Beach which he started with longtime friend Jim Shumate , an Orange County restaurateur ; He had previously owned four restaurants in Finland and intends to be involved in the business as of the conclusion of his hockey career . 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 release , and was the third highest grossing locally produced film of the year .