In 1997 and 1998, a well-known automobile race known as the World Rally Championship was held in Finland and drew a host of top drivers, along with an interloper who gave his name as Teukka Salama. Salama didn't come close to winning, but by all accounts found the experience exhilarating nonetheless.
This is not at all surprising, considering how the driver -- the name translated to Teddy Flash -- comported himself in his day job, and how he became renowned from the northern tip of Europe to the southern coast of California, and many places in between. Salama's real name, after all, was Teemu Selanne, aka "The Finnish Flash," a man who was a Ferrari on skates, a right wing with a stride as smooth and fluid as hot syrup; who moved so fast he would've left rubber if it were possible to do such a thing on a sheet of ice.
For more of Teemu Selanne's 100 Greatest Players bio, please click here.
In 1997 and 1998, a well-known automobile race known as the World Rally Championship was held in Finland and drew a host of top drivers, along with an interloper who gave his name as Teukka Salama. Salama didn't come close to winning, but by all accounts found the experience exhilarating nonetheless.
This is not at all surprising, considering how the driver -- the name translated to Teddy Flash -- comported himself in his day job, and how he became renowned from the northern tip of Europe to the southern coast of California, and many places in between. Salama's real name, after all, was Teemu Selanne, aka "The Finnish Flash," a man who was a Ferrari on skates, a right wing with a stride as smooth and fluid as hot syrup; who moved so fast he would've left rubber if it were possible to do such a thing on a sheet of ice.
For more of Teemu Selanne's 100 Greatest Players bio, please click here.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- EJC-A All-Star Team (1988)
- NHL All-Rookie Team (1993)
- NHL First All-Star Team (1993, 1997)
- NHL Second All-Star Team (1998, 1999)
- Olympic All-Star Team (2006, 2014)
- Best Forward - Olympics (2006)
- WC-A All-Star Team (1999)
- WC-A MVP (1999)
- Olympics MVP (2014)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007)
- Traded to Anaheim by Winnipeg with Marc Chouinard and Winnipeg's 4th round pick (later traded to Toronto, later traded to Montreal -- Montreal selected Kim Staal) in 1996 NHL Draft for Chad Kilger, Oleg Tverdovsky and Anaheim's 3rd round pick (Per-Anton Lundstrom) in 1996 NHL Draft, February 7, 1996.
- Traded to San Jose by Anaheim for Jeff Friesen, Steve Shields and San Jose's 2nd round pick (later traded to Dallas -- Dallas selected Vojtech Polak) in 2003 NHL Draft, March 5, 2001.
- Signed as a free agent by Colorado, July 3, 2003.
- Signed as a free agent by Anaheim, August 22, 2005.
- Officially announced his retirement, May 16, 2014.
