Perry anxious to hear Selanne's decision

Tuesday, 08.27.2013 / 5:16 PM

By Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer / Olympic Orientation Camp blog

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Olympic Orientation Camp blog
Perry anxious to hear Selanne's decision

CALGARY -- Even though Corey Perry has played with Teemu Selanne for the past eight seasons, the Anaheim Ducks forward wants to be counted among the hockey fans dying to know if his teammate is going to return to the NHL in 2013-14.

Selanne reportedly is going to make a decision whether he will return for a 21st season or retire at the age of 43 sometime soon.

"When everybody asks you or talks to you about hockey, it's always, 'Is Teemu coming back?'" Perry told NHL.com Tuesday at Canada Olympic orientation camp. "I don't have an answer for them, but I'm curious as well to know what's going on, what's going through his mind, what does he want to do? This is probably the third, fourth, fifth maybe sixth time he's gone through this, but it's Teemu and he's a legend. If you talk about hockey his name is probably going to come up."

Perry said he would understand if Selanne decided to hang it up but doesn't think he should.

"[He can] still score goals and he can still skate," Perry said. "He's a guy that can score from anywhere and he can help the power play out for sure.

"Especially this year, with losing Bobby [Ryan], and if [Teemu] doesn't come back, there's 40 or more goals right there that you've got to make up somehow," Perry continued. "They've done a good job in what they got back for Bobby, but just losing those two guys would definitely hurt the offense."

Ryan this offseason was traded to the Ottawa Senators for Jakob Silfverberg, Stefan Noesen and a first-round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft.

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