chant and George Parros. Selanne also insisted on leaving an empty chair on stage for

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Teemu Selanne was determined not to cry when his jersey was retired by the Anaheim Ducks, and he barely succeeded somehow during an emotional tribute Sunday to his life and career.Turns out theres nothing the Finnish Flash cant do in a hockey rink.Actually the toughest part of keeping the emotions was when I was walking down the stairs, Selanne said, referring to his entrance through a cordon of high-fiving fans. The whole thing just hit so hard — plus I have to concentrate so I dont fall down those. What a night. Its very special.The Ducks hung Selannes No. 8 in the rafters to honour the beloved forward who became their franchise scoring leader during his 21-season NHL career. Eight months after Selanne ended a record-setting career spent mostly in Orange County, the Ducks celebrated the franchises most popular player and the 11th-leading goal-scorer in NHL history.I feel very lucky in so many different ways, Selanne told the sellout crowd. You guys have made this a happy place for us. Its overwhelming. You guys have treated me so well. Thanks for making this life so special.Commissioner Gary Bettman, team owner Henry Samueli and Selannes family joined two decades of teammates on stage before the Ducks faced the Winnipeg Jets, Selannes first NHL club. After the ceremony, the teams surprised Selanne by warming up in replicas of every jersey worn by Selanne with the two clubs — everything from the Ducks current look to the franchises mid-1990s sweaters.This whole thing has been unbelievable, Selanne said, employing his favourite adjective over the years.After speaking to the crowd, Selanne was joined by his family under a spotlight while a black banner with his No. 8 slowly rose.I dont remember the last time I was this nervous, Selanne said. I didnt know what to expect. It was really special. The whole package was perfect.Selanne won the Calder Trophy in 1993 and the Stanley Cup in 2007 while delighting hockey fans for a quarter-century with his electrifying offensive abilities and magnetic personality.Samueli hailed Selanne as the true face of the franchise and an exemplary leader who touched thousands of lives with charity work.We salute you, we thank you, we love you, Samueli added. You are permanently ingrained in the soul of the Anaheim Ducks franchise.Selannes jersey is the first retired by the Ducks, who came into existence in 1993 — a few months after Selanne set an NHL record with 76 goals in his rookie season in Winnipeg.Bettman called the goals mark a record that no doubt will never be broken, and he credited Selanne with a large role in hockeys rise to prominence in Southern California — even while fans greeted the commissioner with his usual round of boos.I would get booed to be with Teemu any time, Bettman said. Unless Im mistaken, it sounds like youre going Tee-muuuuuu.Selanne laughed and cocked his ear when fans started the One more year! chant that became an Anaheim staple over the last half-decade.That was funny, he said. Luckily, its not possible.The then-Mighty Ducks acquired Selanne in February 1996, and he returned to the franchise for good in 2005 after brief stints in San Jose and Colorado. Selanne spent parts of 15 seasons in Orange County, where he still lives year-round with his wife and four children.After flirting with retirement for seven consecutive summers, Selanne finally did for good last year after racking up 684 goals and 773 assists in 1,451 games. He is the 15th-leading scorer in NHL history with 1,457 points and the Ducks career leader in most major categories, including goals (457), assists (531) and games played (966).Selannes family was joined on the stage by Jari Kurri, his childhood hero, and former Ducks teammates, including Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Saku Koivu, Steve Rucchin, Guy Hebert, Todd Marchant and George Parros. Selanne also insisted on leaving an empty chair on stage for the late Don Baizley, his former agent.His friends took a few jabs: Giguere claimed Selanne is known for having a muffin for a shot.What Id like to know is how you fooled so many goalies over the years, Giguere asked with a smile.After Kurri related a story about the notorious gearhead asking to borrow his car the first time they met, Kurri addressed Selanne directly: Enjoy your retirement, but I hope that at some point, you go back into hockey, somehow, some way, soon.Selanne co-owns a Laguna Beach restaurant and plays plenty of golf and tennis in his retirement, but he expects to get back into hockey in some capacity soon, either with the Ducks or the Finnish national team.Before watching the game from a luxury suite, Selanne confirmed that the Stanley Cup victory was his most memorable day in a hockey uniform.Yeah, but not only that, he said. The biggest thing is that we won it right here. Thank you so much. This night is so special for me. Im never going to forget this. Jori Lehtera Jersey . Kenny Miller scored from the penalty spot and Camilo Sanvezzo came off the bench to add two late goals as the Whitecaps kept their playoff hopes alive with a 3-0 victory over the sagging Impact on Saturday afternoon. Brian Elliott Jersey . So they rushed to re-sign the first baseman who general manager Ben Cherington described Friday as "a unique player." The World Series champions finalized a $32 million, two-year agreement Thursday with the slugging former catcher who turned into a surprisingly good defender. http://www.officialflyersfanstore.com/authentic-michal-neuvirth-flyers-jersey/ . The mood in Seattle was electrified as the parade featuring the NFL champions began near the Space Needle and made its way to CenturyLink Field, the home of the team. At a ceremony inside the stadium, the team thanked its loyal followers -- the 12th Man -- capping a day of boisterous celebration that drew an estimated 700,000 revelers to Seattle. Cole Bardreau Jersey . He chirped to the caddie of Brandt Snedeker about their money game, a Mickelson tradition at the majors. Lefty was in good spirits Monday at the British Open, except for having to return the claret jug. Bill Barber Jersey . Vonn had another scary moment at Saturdays World Cup downhill in Val dIsere, ending up clutching her knee in pain after losing her balance and missing a gate. But she gave a reassuring answer shortly afterward, saying no new damage had been done to the surgically repaired knee, and that her plans for the Sochi Olympics were still intact.BROSSARD, Que. - The days without a game were dragging on, so the Montreal Canadiens decided they needed an intrasquad game to get the competitive juices flowing. The Canadiens had a mock game day on Monday, complete with a morning skate at their practice facility. They were scheduled to play a simulated game in the evening against mostly call-ups from the AHLs Hamilton Bulldogs at the Bell Centre. The team has been off since completing a sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the NHL playoffs on April 22. They are not expected to begin the second round against the rival Boston Bruins until Thursday or Friday, which would make for a break of nine or 10 days between playoff games. The Canadiens hope the intrasquad gaame will help keep the rust off.dddddddddddd Rugged winger Brandon Prust said they would play at a good pace while being mindful of avoiding injuries. "Its a question of being smart," Prust said. "We want to skate hard and be hard on the puck and be physical. "Its a game-like situation, but no ones going to be running around trying to kill people. At the same time, youre blocking shots and guys are shooting the puck hard and youre battling for pucks. Its going to be good for us." The game was to be closed to the public and media. Coach Michel Therrien also gave his players a day off on Tuesday. The Canadiens were off the first two days after the sweep but resumed practising on Friday. 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