Teemu Selanne will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame this November alongside Paul Kariya, Dave Andreychuk, Mark Recchi, Danielle Goyette as well as builders Clare Drake and Jeremy Jacobs.
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The former Jets forward was selected 10th overall by Winnipeg in the 1988 NHL Draft. His rookie campaign saw him score a record-breaking 76 goals in 84 games. Selanne finished the season tied for fifth in league scoring with 132 points, earning him the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
Only four players, period, have ever scored more than 76 in one season: Wayne Gretzky (twice), Brett Hull, and Mario Lemieux.
The “Finnish Flash” was traded by the Jets to the Anaheim Ducks during the 1995-1996 season. He retired in 2014 following 21 years in the NHL with 684 goals and 773 assists in 1,451 games.
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Internationally, Selanne helped Finland capture a silver and three bronze medals at the Winter Olympics. He also won a world championship silver medal in 1999 and bronze at the 2008 tournament.
Kariya had 989 points in 989 games with Anaheim, Colorado, Nashville and St. Louis. His career was cut short early after suffering multiple concussions.
Recchi played even longer than Selanne – 1,652 games over 22 seasons – and stands as the NHL’s 12th highest scorer with 1,533 points. Andreychuk was another greybeard who played until he was 42, his best years coming with the Sabres and Maple Leafs during the 90s.
Goyette won two Olympic golds for Canada along with eight world championship crowns and Drake was a coaching legend, mostly on the Canadian university scene. Jacobs is the influential owner of the Boston Bruins..
— With files from the Canadian Press
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