Selanne blasts ex-coach Boudreau in biography

[TheRussianRocket.]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/selanne-blasts-ex-coach-boudreau/

If anyone other than Bruce Boudreau was coaching the Anaheim Ducks, Teemu Selanne believes he would be reporting for training camp with his former teammates on Thursday morning and continuing his NHL career.

That is among a number of frank revelations contained in an authorized biography entitled Teemu, which has just been released in Finland. The book was written by journalist Ari Mennander with Selannes support and has been in the works for a decade. Sections translated into English were obtained by Sportsnet for this article and later cross-checked by two people who have read it.

While the biography covers a range of topics including his personal life and parents divorce, it is a chapter detailing the late stages of his NHL career where he delves into significant detail about his differences with Boudreau.

Selanne felt that he never gained the coachs trust and wasnt given enough ice time to make an impact. Ultimately, he claims that it prompted him to begrudgingly walk away from the game just before his 44th birthday.

If we had any other coach, Id still play, said Selanne.

It was pretty clear that the future Hockey Hall of Famer was fed up before the Ducks were eliminated in the second round of last years playoffs. The team topped the Western Conference with 116 points in the regular season but was knocked out by Los Angeles in a seven-game series.

Anaheim trailed the Kings 3-0 at the first intermission of the deciding game. Selanne knew that it would likely be the last of his NHL career and took out his phone between periods to text his wife and a couple friends: fing joke.

In his mind, Boudreau deserved most of the blame for that teams failure to win a championship.

It would have been wrong if we had won the Stanley Cup with a coach like that, said Selanne.

After the loss, he went out for dinner with family and friends and spoke about Boudreau for four hours, according to the biography.

The book also reveals that Selanne considered contract offers from the Winnipeg Jets and Los Angeles Kings during the summer of 2013 because he wasnt keen on another season under the Ducks coach. Ultimately, the two men sat down for a meeting where Selanne claims he was promised power-play time and around 15 minutes of ice time per night.

He ended up falling a little short of that mark with an average of 14:07.

Everything started well, but then my ice time got smaller, just like the previous year, said Selanne. Anything Boudreau had said wasnt true.

Last season he became so distressed about not being included on the top power play unit that he urged a teammate to lobby the coach on his behalf. After an excellent showing at the Sochi Olympics, where he led Finland to bronze, Selanne was briefly elevated in the lineup only to see his minutes fall again.

The biography chronicles some of the specific discussions he had with Boudreau.

In one meeting just before the Olympics, Selanne said he left confused after being instructed to give harder passes. Following a Game 7 loss to Detroit in the 2013 playoffs, he claims that the coach apologized for giving him just 12:55 of ice time and told him that he had planned to use him more on the power play in the next round.

That was an unbelievable explanation, said Selanne.

What separates this book from so many others is the source of the information. Selanne is 11th in NHL history with 684 career goals and spent parts of 15 seasons playing for the Ducks. He won a Stanley Cup in Anaheim. The organization has plans to retire his No. 8 before a game against the Jets on Jan. 11 an event owners Henry and Susan Samueli said will pay tribute to a world-class player, ambassador and champion.

While it wasnt exactly an industry secret that Selanne craved a bigger role last season he said as much on more than one occasion in Sochi no one would have predicted this much candour from his book project. The biography is currently only available in Finnish, but there have been discussions about having it published in English.

Boudreau appeared on Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown after receiving a two-year contract extension last week and discussed his relationship with Selanne and Saku Koivu. He is the fastest NHL coach ever to win 300 games and acknowledged that having two legendary players at the end of their careers complicated his job.

It was tough sometimes because they were both getting a little older and I was really conscientious of how much ice time I gave them, Boudreau said. I mean theyre both icons in the league and you dont want to embarrass them by not playing them enough.

(Attempts to reach Boudreau for this article were unsuccessful).

Despite the coachs best efforts, Selanne was far from satisfied.

The tension came to a head between Games 3 and 4 of a first-round series with Dallas last spring when Selanne got word that he would be scratched the next night. It prompted a confrontation.

I waited after everyone else had left the ice and skated to Boudreau, he said. I yelled at him right to his face with what I was thinking. I asked what he has against me. I told him that since he became our coach, he has not respected me one bit. You never put me on ice when we play 5-on-3 or 4-on-4 or when we are one goal behind in the end of the game. Be honest for one time and answer.

He just stammered that decisions were not his alone and it was a group decision. I asked which group and he said GM and scouts. I yelled at him Whoa, what kind of a coach are you if you dont even decide the lineup? He tried to skate away but I just yelled that I wasnt finished.

I told Boudreau if you ever want to win something in a playoffs, youre going to need me. Nobody else wants to win as much as me.

As heated as the moment was, getting those feelings off his chest came with relief for Selanne.

It felt really good, he said.

While the biography notes that he didnt have any issues with Boudreau as a person He is actually a nice man its clear that their working relationship was pretty strained. In summing up his final NHL season, one where Selanne scored just nine times in 64 games, the winger said: You are as good as your coach wants you to be.

The two men havent spoken since the argument in Dallas, according to the book.

Wow. Deep words from Teemu. Always thought Boudreau was a type of coach that didn't get along with players, sort of like Torts. Good coach and can get the job done but beyond hockey, not very good at bonding, creating relationships.

Last year, I remember as well...Teemu wouldn't even be deployed in key situations in the game and it starstruck me. You have one of the best offensively gifted players in the league even at his age and you simply don't play him? Especially the playoffs, Bruce cemented it that he never liked Teemu and even benched him! I remember when Teemu came back and scored and rubbed it in his face proving him wrong.

...but really, just so sad to see this was the real reason why one of the last remaining legends in today's game left the game. Clearly he still had the desire and passion to continue.

[Where's Wellwood]

Why couldn't he have gone back to Winnipeg rather than retire if he still wants to play and Boudreau is the problem?

[viking mama]

Hold the ceremony, ANA...hold the ceremony! Should the Canucks try to sign Selanne, mid-season? Anyone think this is a good idea?

Sundin ended-up being one of the best play-off performers for the 'Nucks, when they tried this very-late-signing-of-a-veteran-star move with him years back.

How motivating would it be to actually stick it to both Boudreau & Kesler ...at the same time? And - after all of those revelations, yikes! Every time I saw Selanne play during the reg. season & in the play-offs, I thought he looked brilliant out there.

OMG - my mind says, "this is crazy", but my heart says...oh, what the heck,... hail Odin .. let's do it...please sign him. And - I'm not just saying this, to legitimately get yet another viking hockey legend's name upon a Canuck's jersey...altho' that'd be pretty cool, too!

Editted for accuracy - thanks to C00kies!

[TOMapleLaughs]

Obviously he had to make room for the rise of Nick Bonino.

[-Stammer-]

did he take that $10 milllion dollar contract in Finland?

[Rick Grimes]

I love Teemu, but this sounds like a Veteran player that couldn't accept that he was aging. The Ducks didn't need Teemu last year.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Hold the ceremony, ANA...hold the ceremony! Should the Canucks try to sign Selanne, mid-season? Anyone think this is a good idea?

Sundin ended-up being one of the best play-off performers for the 'Nucks, when they tried this very-late-signing-of-a-veteran-star move with him years back. That was the year Lu broke his concentration to complain about a missed call or something & an OT winner blew by him, after a brilliant game & series,... to end Sundin's dream. How motivating would it be to actually stick it to both Boudreau & Kesler ...at the same time? And - after those revelations, yikes! Every time I saw Selanne play, during the reg. season & in the play-offs, I thought he looked brilliant out there.

OMG - my mind says, "this is crazy", but my heart says...oh, what the heck,... hail Odin .. let's do it...please sign him!

A return to Winnipeg would be far more entertaining as a league story. LA would be the logical choice.

[TheXFactor]

As great as Teemu is I think there's a lot on this article that isn't being said. Maybe Boudreau didn't want to give Teemu so much TOI because of his age? Maybe he was worried he'd get injured? He's a legend, and even if you are his coach its hard to just say "I don't want to give you so much time, you're getting old".

Correct me if i'm wrong but the impression I get is that older players tend to get injured more easily when they play too much.

Maybe Boudreau wanted to give more ice time for the younger players? Teemu was on his way out, sooner or later. I'm thinking the coach wanted to develop the kids more.

[apollo]

Why couldn't he have gone back to Winnipeg rather than retire if he still wants to play and Boudreau is the problem?

That's what I was thinking. Probably because Winnipeg sucks though lol

Really interesting article though!

[RonMexico]

Instead of remembering Selanne as a Canuck killer, all I can think of is this sour grapes article.

[oldnews]

Unfortunate way for one of the all-time greatest players and personalities to go out.

Would have loved to see him hang them up as a Jet.

[The Bookie]

Sections translated into English were obtained by Sportsnet for this article and later cross-checked by two people who have read it.

I took this as a big disclaimer saying "We're not entirely sure if we have this correct."

But yeah, it would be a shame if his Mr. Nice Guy image were tainted this quickly after leaving the league.

[viking mama]

As great as Teemu is I think there's a lot on this article that isn't being said. Maybe Boudreau didn't want to give Teemu so much TOI because of his age? Maybe he was worried he'd get injured? He's a legend, and even if you are his coach its hard to just say "I don't want to give you so much time, you're getting old".

Correct me if i'm wrong but the impression I get is that older players tend to get injured more easily when they play too much.

Maybe Boudreau wanted to give more ice time for the younger players? Teemu was on his way out, sooner or later. I'm thinking the coach wanted to develop the kids more.

Like Tortorella (Weise, Booth, Burrows) or Keenan (Linden, MacLean, others),...some coaches just want to push certain players out...for whatever reasons. Certain players don't fit the coach's system. This seems to be the case here, too.

It's the lack of honest, responsible & effective communication here,...that looks bad on Boudreau & perhaps Selanne himself. Selanne has a SC cup victory & his memories....the rest should all be about his family & their happiness; the fulfillment of his career goals; relationships; having fun; & being able to help other players & teammates to achieve their dreams, also. If he can no longer pursue those things in the NHL - then retirement was the right thing to do.

[elvis15]

did he take that $10 milllion dollar contract in Finland?

No.

[Guest Dasein]

Gotta see it from both sides on this. I see why Teemu's mad, but I also see why Boudreau did what he did. Although Teemu is a legend, there's no denying his play was on a decline whereas the Ducks have a plethora of young wingers that are very very promising.

[canuck cole]

meh, sounds more like a teemu issue

[Master Mind]

Selanne was one of the last players I'd expect to say something like that.

It's understandable that he would want lots of ice time when he knew that his career was going to end soon. If he really wanted more ice time then he should have played another season, I'm sure there are teams that would love to have him.

In Boudreau's defence, Selanne wasn't exactly one of their best players last year. And if you play a legend on the decline more than you should, the result might not be good. Just look at Brodeur last year.

[Duodenum]

Yikes, what a whiner.

Selanne was garbage last year and his minutes rightfully cut. Slow, always behind the play, fumbling grade A chances.

Guy can't get over the fact that he's old.

[Monteeun]

Yikes, what a whiner.

Selanne was garbage last year and his minutes rightfully cut. Slow, always behind the play, fumbling grade A chances.

Guy can't get over the fact that he's old.

Yikes, what a whiner...

[c00kies]

Hold the ceremony, ANA...hold the ceremony! Should the Canucks try to sign Selanne, mid-season? Anyone think this is a good idea?

Sundin ended-up being one of the best play-off performers for the 'Nucks, when they tried this very-late-signing-of-a-veteran-star move with him years back. That was the year Lu broke his concentration to complain about a missed call or something & an OT winner blew by him, after a brilliant game & series,... to end Sundin's dream. How motivating would it be to actually stick it to both Boudreau & Kesler ...at the same time? And - after those revelations, yikes! Every time I saw Selanne play, during the reg. season & in the play-offs, I thought he looked brilliant out there.

OMG - my mind says, "this is crazy", but my heart says...oh, what the heck,... hail Odin .. let's do it...please sign him. And - I'm not just saying this, to legitimately get yet another viking hockey legend's name upon a Canuck's jersey...altho' that'd be pretty cool, too!

This is incorrect. In 06/07, Vancouver got eliminated by Anaheim in 2OT in the fifth game. This was the game that had Sabourin make an O.T. appearance when Lui had digestive problems.

Sundin signed two season later, when we were ousted by Hatrick Kane in that 7-5, game 6 loss.