Teemu Selanne's storybook NHL career will continue for just one more year. The Anaheim Ducks and Selanne announced through a YouTube video that the Finnish Flash will return for the 2013-14 NHL season, which will be his last.
In the video, which can be seen below, Selanne is shown as being unsuccessful at playing golf and then throws his clubs in the water before announcing to Ducks general manager Bob Murray via cell phone that he'll return for one final season when the Ducks kick off this year's campaign Oct. 5 on the road against the Colorado Avalanche.
"Hi, Bob," Selanne says in the video. "This is Teemu, Yeah, I'm coming back. Yeah, but this is it. This is my final one."
Selanne, 43, signed a $2 million deal to play in his 21st NHL season.
Selanne has been taking it year-by-year for the past four offseasons, signing one-year deals with the Ducks, never certain what the future would hold at the end of each campaign. With this being an Olympic year, Selanne is expected to play for Finland this year in Sochi, Russia.
Selanne made his debut in 1992 with the Winnipeg Jets and set a rookie record with 76 goals and 132 points. That rookie campaign was just the foreshadowing of a great career as Selanne currently sits 14th overall on the NHL's all-time scorers list with 1,430 points. Through 1,387 games, Selanne has put up 675 goals and 755 assists.
Last season with the Ducks, Selanne had 12 goals and 12 assists for 22 points in 46 games in the 48-game lockout-shortened season. The Ducks finished first in the Pacific Division, posting a 30-12-6 record with 66 points before falling to the Red Wings in the opening round of the playoffs in seven games.
Selanne trails just the Czech Republic's Jaromir Jagr (681) for most goals ever scored in the NHL by a European-born player. Selanne, entering his 14th season with the team, won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim back in the 2006-07 season.
Selanne hopes to hoist the Cup one more time when his farewell tour concludes this season.
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