I find it quite fortuitous timing for Teemu Selanne to make a little bit of Twitter news on the eve of me having the pleasure of posting this article. He is nudging the Anaheim Ducks to pick up a Finnish shoot-first-style winger. Thanks, Teemu. Let’s get to it…
I was listening to a podcast recently when the question was asked: How many goals would rookie Teemu Selanne have in today’s NHL? The answer given was 47 goals and maybe 95 points. Remember that Teemu scored 76 goals and 56 assists for 132 points that year.
I take umbrage.
I saw an old video of Teemu Selanne getting held, gripped, mugged – literally pulled and held to the ice, a full compilation. It’s far too big to post, but this Nikki’s Kronwall hit will give you an idea of how frequent this was back then. The podcasters say compared to his 76-goal rookie year that, he’d have less success now. Not just less, but 40% less. Please remember this was pre-Achilles severing in his sophomore year.
“Goalies are better” Was the argument. Patrick Roy might disagree. Martin Brodeur might disagree. Teemu never had that laser shot. It was his speed and accuracy that created goals. What would have changed there? He scored 100 goals faster than anyone else in history, save Mike Bossy, and only by one game. Then the injury. I remember it well because it was against the Ducks when Don McSween caught him with an errant skate blade.
This generational talent had his greatest gift marginalized, and he STILL adapted to a HOF finish.
Yes, he was still fast. Yes, he could still shoot. Yes, he had an unearthly hockey sense. But that insane – blow by everyone – speed? It was arguably taken away. Even then, he had 48 goals at 36 years old. Thirty-one goals and 49 assists at 40.
To say that he would have fared worse now when having played through the stifling left-wing lock, the death of hockey era, is absurd.
This player is actually underrated. Clutch goals? Ask Hasek. Carry a team? I did it, see 2010 at 40 years old. He is the single greatest scorer in Olympic history. That is the most points ever. Not Gretz. Not Lemeiux, not Crosby, Teemu. He’s not even a Canadian.
Teemu is 12th all-time in goals. Are you telling me that you think Mike Gardner, who retained his speed throughout that era, was a more pivotal player, dynamic, and threat than Teemu? You can’t legitimately say that, and I love Mike Gartner. Imagine Gartner with Teemu’s shot, ability to find the soft spot in the coverage, and his power play efficiency. Look above him on the list. Jagr, Howe, Ovechkin, Lemeiux. Only Yzerman and Esposito did it without size AND a shot. Perhaps Gretzky (who is the greatest ever to play) and perhaps Hull, but Hull’s shot is legendary.
And that’s what we’re discussing. A legend. Even after maybe losing a step. I’m talking about the savage injury, not age. You can hear what his teammates have said; Teemu’s work ethic was second to none. He worked harder than other players even though he was gifted with legendary talent. There is no other way for him to have played so long, and so effectively without that ethic. He adapted and incorporated that amazing hockey sense into an epic passer as well as a goal scorer. Also, it can be debated no player has done more on worse teams than Teemu.
What he would have been in his rookie year now transcends today’s NHL standards. In my opinion, which matters for this piece, is that if Rookie Teemu were on the ice now, he would be more prolific than Ovi, Crosby, and the chosen one, McDavid.
That is just my read, but to say that he would have fewer goals in the era of “don’t touch the rockstars” doesn’t compute—goalie gear, better athletes in that position, yadda, yadda, yadda. There is also no Scott Stevens head-hunting you every shift. No, Christian Ruttu is trying to take your knee on every play. No, Chris Simon is just waiting for Teemu to make a pass and admire it. That “this era is more _____ “ doesn’t work because it’s both ways.
If they had said he would score 76 again, I could have let it go.
But Winnipeg was hardly a world-beater then. Or since. (They are in the midst of a nice season as this posts, though)
And it’s just not apples to apples. We already know that Temmu Selanne could adjust. He did.
I think that the entire NHL would be adjusting to him.
Another interesting conversation for another time? How many would Gretzky have scored in his 92-goal season if it were now?
Episode 124: Why? – Late Arrivals: An Anaheim Ducks Podcast
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Wow I love this! This is absolutely great reasoning, and frankly I don’t see how you can argue against the author here. Great work!