Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
It’s the news Anaheim Ducks fans have been eagerly waiting to hear concerning the Finnish Flash. Teemu Selanne will be back for one more season. The nerve-wracking concerns and questions continued on Aug. 28, when he had yet another meeting with Ducks’ management Bob Murray and Bruce Boudreau. His meeting on the 28th was the first time Selanne met with Boudreau since last season’s Game 7 loss in the playoffs to the Detroit Red Wings, hoping his future with the Ducks would be on the same page as his coaches. On Aug. 30, it was decided he would return for a 21st season.
Even Corey Perry was anxious to hear Selanne’s decision on returning as a Duck after playing eight seasons with him. Perry stated that he’d understand if the decision for Selanne was to retire, but he never thought he should. The NHL noted that on Aug. 28, Luca Sbisa made a statement that he was 99 percent sure Selanne would return, which raised hopes tremendously while concurrently making fans nervous if it was an over-the-top prediction or not.
This season is far more special because it’s the 20th anniversary of the Ducks, and it would be a full 82-game season, giving fans one last time to see Selanne in full capacity. In his NHL career, he has ranked 15th all-time in points with 1,430, and 11th in goals with 675.
And Selanne is not only giving fans one more reason to watch the Ducks’ games, he’s giving his teammates one more season to take note of his technique and efficiency at the age of 43. With Selanne on the roster, the Ducks will have a strong mix of skilled veterans and developing rookies with solid potential.
Ellie Pourang is a sports columnist for Rant Sports. You can follow her on Twitter @elliepourang or Facebook.
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