Ducks Free Agency Home Run: Teemu Selanne in 2005

Coming out of the lockout, both Selanne and the Ducks had needs the other could fill. Selanne needed an organization that believed in his chances to rebound, and the Ducks needed some top-line scoring punch after a disappointing pre-lockout season. The team had high hopes for Sergei Fedorov, but he didn’t turn out to be that guy. And so, Selanne joined the Ducks on a one-year deal with a chance to prove himself once again. And boy, did he deliver.

Selanne Signing Pays Immediate Dividends

Right from the first game of the 2005-06 campaign, Selanne was a man on a mission. Playing on a line with Chris Kunitz and Andy McDonald, he was the go-to guy, putting up back-to-back 40-goal, 90-plus point seasons. Though the team had plenty of other strengths, Selanne was instrumental in Anaheim’s run to the 2006 Western Conference Final and the 2007 Stanley Cup. They don’t get much bigger than his Game 5 OT winner against the Detroit Red Wings in the 2007 West Final. Keep in mind, these campaigns were his age-35 and age-36 seasons.

He also had many personal successes in those first two seasons back with the Ducks. At the 2006 NHL Awards, he won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for dedication and perseverance to hockey. On Nov. 22, 2006, he scored his 500^th goal, becoming the 36^th player, and second Finnish-born player, to eclipse the mark. To him, though, nothing meant more than the Stanley Cup win, which at times Selanne doubted would ever happen (from ‘Selanne Takes the Road Less Traveled on Way to the Stanley Cup Title,’ The New York Times, June 8, 2007).

Selanne Impressed Until the Very End

After the 2007 win, Selanne battled and overcame constant retirement thoughts to play seven more seasons with the Ducks, before finally retiring for good in 2014. Here are some of the highlights from his last seven years in the league:

This Was a Top Personnel Move, Let Alone Free Agent Signing

Selanne was and always will be a fan favorite, and for good reason. As a person, he was personable, likable, engaging, and fun. As a player, he was a leader and a dominant offensive force that utilized finishing ability, hockey IQ, and perhaps most of all, speed, to create offense and ignite crowds. After all, he is the “Finnish Flash.”

While there was no guarantee he would find his old form, the decision to bring Selanne back in 2005 ultimately was the best one that either side could have made. Together, they won a championship, achieved milestones, and made several deep playoff runs. Selanne found a second wind in his career that stretched into nine more seasons, collecting 232 more goals and 506 additional points in the process. To top it off, he even had his jersey No. 8 retired by the franchise in a game against the Jets, his first NHL team. When you combine all the hockey personnel moves – signings, trades, drafts – the Ducks have made, Selanne’s resume speaks for itself – longevity, winner, fan favorite. Need I say more?