Teemu Selanne is retired from the NHL, but that didn't stop him from creating a buzz on the first day of Anaheim Ducks training camp Thursday thanks to a part of his book where he blasts his former head coach Bruce Boudreau, who led the Ducks to the best record in the Western Conference last season.
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Selanne released a new autobiography in his native Finland and said Thursday that he was sorry if the contents of the book "hurt Bruce or anyone else," according to ESPN Los Angeles.
"That was not my intent," Selanne said in a statement released by the Ducks, according to the affiliate.
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Selanne, 44, retired this summer after 21 seasons in the NHL and a final season in which he and Boudreau butted heads over playing time and his role on the team. Boudreau said he knew there was some tension between the two but he was disappointed to hear about the criticisms.
"Nobody likes hearing anything negative about themselves, so in that sense I'm a little disappointed," Boudreau said. "But I understand the frustration."
Selanne reportedly blasted his former coach in the book due to his dwindling role on the team last season and even said he'd return for the 2014-15 campaign if Boudreau wasn't the team's coach.
The Ducks went 54-20-8 last season with 116 points before being bounced from the postseason from the eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings in seven games in the second round.
"In the book, I tried to explain honestly what happened last year. In frustration, I made several comments following our Game 7 loss to the Kings that I shouldn't have said," Selanne said. "As I've said many times, Bruce is a nice guy, but we simply had a different view on my role with the Ducks."
Despite the criticisms, Boudreau had nice things to say about Selanne, whose No. 8 jersey will be retired by the franchise when it hosts the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 11.
"I'm sure I'm going to see him again," Boudreau said. "And listen, he was one of my favorite guys. I've always liked him and admired him. I don't think anyone here has ever heard me say a bad word about him, ever. And that will continue."
Boudreau scratched Selanne from the team's Game 4 matchup with the Dallas Stars in the opening round of the playoffs, leading to a heated argument between them during practice. Boudreau explained the situation Thursday.
"He raised his voice a bit, and all I did was tell him, 'OK, not so loud,' " Boudreau said. "'Let's talk like men.' And then he stopped and he caught himself, because he's an emotional guy."
Selanne averaged 14:08 time on ice last season and scored just nine goals and added 18 assists for 27 points in 64 games while adding two tallies and four helpers in 12 playoff games.
Selanne is 11th all-time in goal-scoring in the NHL with 684 markers and ranks 15th all-time with 1,457 points.
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