It’s bee a season of goodbye’s and possible farewells. Keith Tkachuk is hanging up the skates, and we’re facing the distinct possibility of Mike Modano retiring this summer as well.
What about Teemu Selanne?
The future hall of fame forward has spent the majority of his career with the Anaheim Ducks, after starting with the Winnipeg Jets and take a brief tour of Colorado in 2003. He finished with 27 goals this season in 54 games, for a total of 606 career goals in the NHL.
It wasn’t exactly the emotional rollercoaster that Modano went through in Dallas and Minnesota, but Selanne was greeted with an outpouring of support from Ducks fans in the final game of the season. After the game, he was asked if this was it:
“I think it’s smart to take a little time to think about it,” Selanne said before the Ducks’ 7-2 victory over Edmontonclosed out a disappointing season that will not include the playoffs for the first time in five years.
“If you had asked me two months ago, it would have been easy to think, ‘This is it.’ But the way we have played since then (23-14-4 in the second half), after I got healthy, it’s been so much fun.”
He has had trouble staying healthy the past few seasons, and you have to think that takes its toll on a player nearing 40. Like Modano, expect Selanne to take his time making a decision.