Selanne Proud to Stand Alongside Getzlaf in Ducks Record Books

Standing on the same ice where he dazzled Ducks fans for the better part of two decades to celebrate a record he no longer held, Teemu Selanne couldn't help but smile.
The Ducks all-time leading scorer for the majority of the franchise's 28-season history, Selanne relinquished the title to his former teammate Ryan Getzlaf last week, and no one was happier about it.

"I'm very proud of him for what he's achieved and what he's done for this organization," said the 51-year-old Hall of Famer, beaming with joy.
Getzlaf passed the Finnish Flash with an assist on Troy Terry's game-winning goal on Halloween afternoon at Honda Center. Ducks players immediately poured over the boards to mob their captain in the corner, eager to acknowledge a historic moment for an all-time great.

"You go through your career as a player, then as a coach, and moments like this are few and far between," Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins said. "You're only going to maybe get a handful of them if you're lucky. To have the privilege to be his teammate, or privilege to work beside him, or privilege to be one of his coaches, it was an incredible night for everyone."
Terry himself was so excited he admittedly forgot he had scored the goal.
"To be a part of that goal was a special moment. Selflishly, it was one of the coolest moments of my hockey career and it is something I'll remember forever," he said.
The Ducks honored Getzlaf with a special ceremony before Friday's night matchup with Arizona. Getzlaf was joined at center ice by his family and Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli before Selanne emerged from the locker room tunnel wearing a Ducks home jersey with Getzlaf's name and number 15 on the back, bringing Ducks fans to a frenzy and a great smile to Getzlaf's face. The two franchise icons embraced with a bear hug, bringing over 2,000 NHL points and a laundry list of accolades together.

Now a 17-year veteran and the unquestioned leader of Anaheim's dressing room, Getzlaf grew into his role with the help of some legendary veterans early in his career. A rookie during Anaheim's 2005-06 run to the Western Conference Final and an emerging star the following year throughout the Ducks' Stanley Cup Championship march, Getzlaf watched as guys like Selanne, Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger taught him the ropes.
"I watched Pronger when he snapped and yelled at the team. He demanded your best every day," Getzlaf remembered. "I watched Scotty sit back and play his best. He led that way. I watched Teemu skate with his passion and care for everything. Those guys meant the world to me."
After knee injuries threatened his career in the early-2000s, Selanne found new life in his second tour of duty with Anaheim, forming a unique offensive trio with Getzlaf and his partner-in-crime, Corey Perry. Getzlaf sat beside Selanne in the locker room for the final nine seasons of the Finnish Flash's storied career, more than happy to soak up any advice or guidance Selanne could provide.
"I learned a lot of things away from the game from Teemu that people don't see," Getzlaf said. "How to conduct yourself, how to deal with fans, deal with the media and deal with the day-to-day grind. This is a tough league and I got to watch Teemu enjoy it at an age where most of us can't really do skate anymore."
Selanne said it was evident from the get-go that Getzlaf was going to be a special player.
"You could see this guy was going to be unbelievable," he recalled. "He had all the tools. He was big, strong and super smart. He didn't have any weaknesses. He just got better and better."

In October, Getzlaf began his 12th season wearing Anaheim's "C" as the fourth-longest serving captain in the NHL. Selanne sees his former teammate passing along the lessons he learned to future generations of Ducks.
"I think that's why it's always important that when young players come that you have good examples on and off the ice. You learn by examples," Selanne said. "It's a tough job and there's a lot of moving parts. There's a lot of things you have to learn. Being a good example in the locker room and on the ice is very important, and I think Getzy has done a great job."
Getzlaf's job well done has been especially meaningful to Terry, a 24-year-old winger and Getzlaf's frequent linemate.
"The way he talks about Teemu and how much he learned from him, it was wild for me to listen to because that's exactly what he is to me," Terry said. "He's the perfect role model."
Terry has taken the lessons learned from Getzlaf and applied them to his own game. Skating alongside his mentor, the fourth-year pro continues to blossom into one of the league's fastest-emerging players, currently riding the NHL's longest scoring streak (11 games). Terry says Getzlaf has played a critical role in pushing his progress along, both on and off the ice.
"He still makes those high-end plays and I've been lucky enough to be the beneficiary on them," Terry said. "He's a true pro and I hope everyone realizes just how amazing of a hockey player he is."
Still excelling in the NHL at an age where many players can't compete, Getzlaf has followed in Selanne's footsteps in more ways than one.
"I know it's not easy to compete against 20-year-olds," Selanne said. "It just shows the commitment he has to this organization...A lot of times you don't have that control (to play into your late 30s). It shows the respect from the team, too. It's a two-way street. They should both be very proud."
Asked if he could envision seeing #15 join his #8, alongside Scott Niedermayer's #27 and Paul Kariya's #9, in the Honda Center rafters, Selanne laughed and said it's only a matter of time for that and many other awards celebrating Getzlaf's legacy.
"All of the great achievements are still ahead of him," Selanne said. "I know right now he's going to say it doesn't mean much, because he still has a mission to play hockey. The same thing with the numbers, it's a big honor to be an all-time record holder for the franchise, but the numbers always hit later. There's a lot of individual stuff that isn't important until you're done and you look back. I know Getzy will appreciate it way, way more later on."