Selanne, Numminen to join Jets Hall of Fame

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This article was published 17/08/2022 (1511 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THEY both grew up playing hockey in their native Finland and were NHL teammates for parts of four seasons.

Now, forward Teemu Selanne and defenceman Teppo Numminen are being recognized together for their contributions to the Winnipeg Jets, as the latest class to be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame.

The Jets made the announcement Wednesday afternoon, setting the stage for a formal induction scheduled for Nov. 17, prior to puck drop against the Anaheim Ducks at Canada Life Centre.

Selanne, who was affectionately known as “The Finnish Flash,” played in 231 regular-season games for the Jets, between 1992 and 1996, registering 147 goals and 159 assists for 306 points. He set an NHL record for most goals as a first-year player, with 76 in 84 games, on his way to winning the NHL’s Calder trophy, awarded to the league’s top rookie.

Numminen played 547 regular-season games for the Jets over eight seasons (1988-96), tallying 53 goals and 212 assists for 265 points. He would move to Phoenix after the Jets relocated to the desert, where he played seven seasons for the Coyotes ahead of stops in Dallas and Buffalo.

It will mark the fifth class to be added to the Hall of Fame, which was first established during the 2016-17 season, with its inaugural inductees consisting of The Hot Line — a trio that included Swedish forwards Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson and Bobby Hull — from the 1970s, when the Jets were part of the World Hockey Association.

Other inductees include Thomas Steen and Randy Carlyle (2019-20); Ab McDonald and Lars-Erik Sjoberg (2018-19); and Dale Hawerchuk (2017-18).

— staff