Teemu Selänne is undoubtedly one of the true greats of hockey. Beyond his incredible talent on the ice, Selänne was known for always staying calm and never getting stressed, no matter the situation. Like that time he got chewed out by Brian Burke for being late — and responded with seven hilarious words.
Selänne recorded an astounding 1,457 points (684 goals + 773 assists) in 1,451 games. He won one Stanley Cup, three Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies, a Calder Trophy, and set a rookie record of 132 points (76 goals + 56 assists) — a record that may never be broken. You could easily argue that Teemu Selänne is the greatest Finnish player of all time.
The Finnish Flash
He broke into the NHL during the 1992–1993 season with the Winnipeg Jets, putting up that record-setting 132-point rookie season and never looking back — eventually earning a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Throughout his career, Selänne became famous for his speed and skill, which earned him the nickname The Finnish Flash. Off the ice, however, he was (and still is) known as an easygoing, unflappable guy who didn’t believe in stress.
For example, he shared on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast that he used to arrive in the dressing room with just four minutes to spare before games. After games, he liked to take his time winding down. Despite this relaxed approach, he rarely got into trouble for being late — except once.
Teemu Selänne perfect response to Brian Burke
In a 2019 appearance on the 31 Thoughts podcast (now 32 Thoughts), Selänne told a story about the one time he got an earful from Brian Burke — and how he had the perfect response:
“I remember in the playoffs against Dallas. We had won, and they told me the bus was at 10:20. But I was doing media, and they changed it to 10:10. So I’m taking my time, signing autographs and stuff. At 10:19, I go to the bus as the last guy. Not late, but last. And he starts giving it to me, yelling that I’m late, blah blah, and that they almost left me. So I said, ‘Burkie, the fans pay your salary too, so just keep smiling,’” Selänne recalled.
You can watch the interview below.
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