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When the Anaheim Ducks take to the ice on Wednesday night in Dallas, they will not be joined by their veteran leader and all-time great Teemu Selanne.
The Finnish Flash isn't hurt, nope. He's going to be a healthy scratch for Bruce Boudreau's club. Teemu Selanne, healthy scratch. Let that one sink in for a minute because this is awfully rare territory.
One of the NHL's best to ever play only remember this happening once before.
Selanne learned yesterday that he wouldn't be playing. Said only other playoff game he's been scratched was in 2004 with Colorado.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) April 23, 2014
Selanne is in the 23rd and surely final season of his career at age 43. It has been common this season for Selanne to get the occasional game off as he finished the season having played 64 games with nine goals and 18 assists. But in the playoffs? Well it's not about the rest.
Selanne has an assist in the three games so far and six shots on goal in three games but has averaged just 11:16 of ice time per game, nearly three whole minutes fewer than he averaged during the season.
This is just pretty sad for all hockey fans and certainly couldn't be an easy call for Boudreau but at this point he has to put the lineup on the ice he feels gives him the best chance to win.
In his place the Ducks will go with young Emerson Etem. The Southern California native played 29 games this season for Anaheim with seven goals and four assists.
