When Paul Kariya, one of the greatest players of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim franchise history, got elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, it was only fair that his close friend and former linemate Teemu Selanne was as well.
Paul Kariya finished his NHL career with 989 points in 989 games. He was the first NHL Draft pick in Anaheim franchise history, and three years later, Teemu Selanne joined from the Winnipeg Jets.
Immediately, the duo realized how great they worked together, and the rest is history. They are now both members of the Hall of Fame Class of 2017, and it didn’t come as a surprise.
Selanne had 1 457 points in 1 451 games and had his best years with the Anaheim Ducks. Kariya and Selanne knew each other in and out and had an incredible connection.
They made each other better, and as it turns out, they barely ever argued.
”I can count on one hand the times when got angry or mad at each other. Especially during a game. Never, never. But there was one time,” Kariya said on the ”From Might ’Til Now” Podcast.
”I went eight games without scoring a goal, and Teemu was feeding me empty netters. I had so many chances, but I just kept on missing. And then there was one time, I think it was in Washington, he set me up for an empty net and I shot and it went post-post and out.”
”And we go back to the bench, and there’s silence. Then he looks at me, and says, ’Paulie, you don’t wanna score anymore?’ And he starts yelling at me. I just went like, ’No, Teemu. I don’t want to score anymore. I did it on purpose.’ And he was heated.”
Teemu Selanne was also on the podcast, and he remembers the moment like it was yesterday.
”Almost every game after a certain shift, if he makes a bad pass, or I made a bad pass, we just waited until we were on the bench, and then we want at it. But that was one thing how we got better. We didn’t accept a bad pass. We were talking after almost every shift, ’I was open, you didn’t see me?’ But I really believe that was just pushing each other.”
Paul Kariya said:
”I agree, but this time, he actually got mad at me.”
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