Randy Carlyle: "I think he just enjoyed the game. And that includes a lot of good players." And when you've got a guy like Howie (Housley) setting you up all the time, it was as good a one-two punch as I remember at the time. That's what I remember from the early days. He wanted to be on the ice first all the time. Kris King: "His natural ability was huge. Teemu Selanne celebrated in grand fashion when he broke Mike Bossy’s rookie goal-scoring record on March 2, 1993. He was really a free spirit of a kid and it was pretty refreshing for the whole team." In Winnipeg, I recall that when he first came over he didn't really buy into all the standard rules like having to be in the dressing room 45 minutes before practice, he'd be out signing autographs, be late coming in and Carlyle would be giving him shit. He wasn't anybody who practised exceptionally hard but he just loved to play. Terry Simpson: "He just loved to play hockey. The more years you rack up, the earlier you have to start. Anybody that plays that long, you have to pay special attention to your training. You don't score like he scored in his rookie year, or any year, without having that God-given ability that most don't have." "And let's face it, he had a knack - the puck went in for him and it didn't go in for other guys. His ability to skate allowed him to keep up with the game changing. He was such a great skater and you have to be strong to do that. He had strong legs and great passion to play and as long as he was healthy, nothing surprised me. I think he had a couple of suspect years in Colorado, San Jose and wasn't the same player from what I know and what I heard him say. John Paddock: "The (2004) lockout, when he had the knee surgery, I'm sure that extended his career. WHAT WAS THE KEY TO HIS SUCCESS AND LONGEVITY?
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